


ain't it nice this life, we've got each other

by Namidatzu



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:47:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 39,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24975577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Namidatzu/pseuds/Namidatzu
Summary: As they walk outside the theater, Dahyun shields Mina’s hand from the frigid air by clutching it closer to her side, the firmness of her grasp causing Mina’s heart to skip a beat. Even as they take their seats inside the bus, Dahyun doesn’t let go even though there’s no reason for her to keep holding her hand, but Mina chooses not to say anything.She lets her head fall on Dahyun’s shoulder instead, thumb pressed against Dahyun’s knuckles the entire ride home.
Relationships: Kim Dahyun/Myoui Mina
Comments: 21
Kudos: 213





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy MiHyun Day, everyone! This was inspired by the small MiHyun moments during the series of Japan concerts last year where Dahyun always stuck by Mina's side, and while I originally planned on finishing this before putting it out, I unfortunately wasn't able to. So, I decided to split it into two parts instead and have this first half out today. 
> 
> Just in case, the small breaks signify that the scenes take place in the same year; while the larger breaks indicate a time skip in between. 
> 
> Thank you in advance for reading, and I hope you guys enjoy this one! :) 
> 
> P.S. Title of this fic taken from "Love Someone" by Jason Mraz.

_We find the love unplanned that only fate can know; and underneath a veil of my wide eyes is a heart unafraid to let love inside._

_~Godsent by Ben & Ben_

* * *

Mina is ten years old when they move to Korea, her arms wrapped tight around her stuffed penguin all throughout the plane ride from their home in Japan and in the backseat of the car on their way to their new house. She’s nervous, maybe a bit scared; barely able to make out or understand the words of an entirely new language that’s so different from her own.

There are only a few phrases that she knows – important ones like how she’s going to introduce herself, or things like _it’s nice to meet you, how are you,_ and _thank you._ For someone as young as her, it’s a lot to take in, having to move away home and leave the friends she’d made and into a place where she doesn’t have family or know anyone else except for her parents.

Are the people nice? Will their neighbors have children who are the same age as her? Will the other kids look at her funny when she fumbles around for the right words to say only to slip back into Japanese in the end?

Mina squeezes her stuffed penguin tighter, fidgets with the tiny arms that flap around when played around with.

Then the car stops, and her mom and dad turn around to smile at her. Mina relaxes a little at the warmth beaming down on her, giving them a small smile of her own in return.

“We’re here,” her dad announces; Mina nods and eases her embrace on her penguin.

She hopes she doesn’t get made fun of for being quiet, either. Sana and Momo never did. Maybe there’ll be someone like Sana and Momo who would be okay with her being quiet.

“Oh, this is a nice neighborhood,” her mom says brightly as they step out of the car, breaking Mina out of her thoughts.

Mina gingerly steps foot on the pavement, the sun shining overhead bathing her in in its warmth. Her dad told her that it’s summer, which Mina is grateful for because she gets cold easily; so, having the sun out would be nice.

Their new house is as big as their old one, maybe even a bit bigger and the same size as the other houses around it. There’s a small garden in the front, with neatly-trimmed bushes and a path that leads to the porch.

Mina wonders if there are tulips here, too, because those were her favorite flowers. She always did like how pretty and bright their colors are.

Her dad talks to the people who are going to help them move in; her mom hums and stretches, smile still on her face; Mina shuffles her feet against the ground and waits in silence.

And then she hears the sound of a door bursting open, startling Mina into snapping her head towards the source of the noise. It’s from the house right next to theirs, and running out the door and onto the sidewalk is a girl her age with round cheeks, pale skin, jet black hair, and a grin so wide it almost takes over her entire face.

“Dahyun-ah! You’re going to bother our new neighbors!” comes a woman’s chiding voice, which Mina thinks is the girl’s mom.

Mina’s face starts to burn when the girl – Dahyun, was it – ignores her mom and instead turns to look at her, eyes bright and filled with excitement as Mina bites down on her lip and shyly meets her gaze.

“I’m sorry about that,” Dahyun’s mom apologizes to Mina’s parents with a deep bow, then tells Dahyun to do the same. “I hope my daughter didn’t startle you.”

“Oh, no, it’s alright,” Mina’s dad waves the apology off with a laugh. “It’s nice that we have someone all up and excited to welcome us, actually,” he adds with a grin that’s directed towards Dahyun which she returns with ease.

Mina’s parents then launch into conversation with Dahyun’s mom; and, barely able to understand anything that they’re saying, Mina awkwardly shuffles around while Dahyun approaches her.

“Hi, I’m Dahyun!”

At the happy greeting, Mina lifts her head from where she’s been staring at the pavement to look at Dahyun. Up close, she can see how pretty Dahyun’s eyes are, and Mina almost giggles at her cute, chubby cheeks. Almost, because she’s still shy and doesn’t want Dahyun to think that she’s weird.

“Hi, I’m Mina…” Mina introduces herself, testing out every syllable to make sure that they come out right. To her relief, Dahyun doesn’t laugh at her broken Korean; if anything, she lights up even more, encouraging Mina to continue speaking. “It’s- it’s nice to meet you, Dahyun.”

It’s the first words she’s spoken to someone else since their plane landed, and Mina is glad that it’s with a girl who looks happy to listen to her, even if she still has a lot of practicing to do.

“It’s nice to meet you, too, Mina,” Dahyun answers, also slowly, but not in a way that makes Mina feel stupid. Mina appreciates that, and a smile of her own breaks across her face to show it. This causes Dahyun to blurt out, “You’re pretty!” which prompts Mina’s grip on her penguin to loosen.

Then, for the first time since she got on that plane, ten-year old Mina giggles, the furious blush burning Dahyun’s cheeks after her outburst tickling her.

“S-sorry,” Dahyun apologizes, sheepish, and bows her head.

Shaking her head, Mina smiles, then whispers, “Thank you,” that causes Dahyun’s eyes going wide.

“Y-you’re welcome.” Dahyun coughs, feet shuffling against the pavement, gaze landing on Mina’s penguin. “That’s cute,” she says, pointing to the stuffed toy. “Does it have a name?”

Mina looks at it, then back at Dahyun, and nods. “His name is Pingu.”

“Ah! Like the one that goes _noot noot?”_

Smile growing into a grin, Mina nods eagerly. “Yeah! Like that one!”

“I love that show!” Dahyun beams, voice filled with excitement that Mina can’t help but feel herself. She’d been afraid that it would be hard to make new friends, but Dahyun is really nice and Mina can’t wait to tell Momo and Sana about her soon.

Dahyun doesn’t even mind that Mina doesn’t talk as much as she does, and Mina likes that. It’s also really cute, how Dahyun waves her hands around and how she knows not to talk too fast so Mina can catch up with her.

After a while, Dahyun’s mom ushers her away so Mina and her parents could get some rest. Dahyun pouts, but eventually relents and lets her mom push her along, but not before telling Mina that she’ll see her soon with those sparkling eyes and bright grin.

Mina answers with a shy wave of goodbye and a soft ‘see you later’, with the hopes that she and Dahyun could become good friends.

Little does she know that there’s so much more in store for the two of them in the future; or that there are more firsts with Dahyun that await her in their due time.

\-----------

The heavenly smell of pancakes being cooked over the pan fills the kitchen of Dahyun’s home when Mina comes over one morning only a week later, after both Dahyun and her mom have invited her to help Mina learn Korean.

With her parents already needed at work and with school still out for the summer, they’d made arrangements with Dahyun’s family for Mina to stay with them during the day so she wouldn’t be left alone at their own house.

Mina is glad for that, because she doesn’t want to go to school without being able to speak in straight sentences yet. Dahyun’s mom is also nice, even going out of her way to make Mina feel at home by also giving her a generous serving of pancakes.

“My mom makes the best pancakes,” Dahyun says proudly as she pours syrup over hers. Mina bites back a laugh at how her cheeks puff out while she chews on her food.

“They’re delicious,” Mina agrees, letting out a happy hum at the buttery taste that melts in her mouth.

“Right?” Dahyun grins, midway through cutting into another piece with her fork.

Even when she’s eating, Dahyun’s bubbly personality doesn’t disappear, making Mina wonder if there was anything that could make her sad. Hopefully there isn’t, because she likes how happy Dahyun is.

Likes how it makes her happy, too, even if Mina doesn’t know much about Dahyun yet.

After they’re finished eating, Mina volunteers to help with the dishes, but Dahyun’s mom waves her off with a smile and tells her to wait in the living room with Dahyun instead. Mina bows in thanks, then follows Dahyun out of the kitchen and into the living room, her eyes widening when she spots the grand piano sitting at the side.

Noticing this, Dahyun suddenly turns shy and ducks her head, to Mina’s surprise. “My dad plays the piano and he’s teaching me how to,” she explains.

“I dance,” tumbles out of Mina’s mouth as an answer, her cheeks flaming up when she realizes what she just said. “I mean- ballet. But I’m also still learning.”

Dahyun blinks, then breaks into a sunny smile that reminds Mina of yellow tulips. “Yeah? That sounds cool!”

Having run out of words to say, Mina can only laugh shyly in response; Dahyun seems to sense this and stops talking, too, then motions for Mina to sit on the couch. While they wait for Dahyun’s mom, Dahyun teaches Mina a few words, even making a few puns using some of them that Mina giggles at.

Because of Dahyun’s jokes and enthusiasm, Mina finds it easy to remember the simple words she’s being taught; she repeats them back to Dahyun until she’s pronouncing them right and until they don’t feel awkward rolling off her tongue anymore.

In the whole day she spends with Dahyun and her mom, Mina starts to gain confidence in her Korean; especially because Dahyun looks and sounds genuinely ecstatic whenever Mina gets a sentence right, even if it’s something simple.

It’s the first time Mina thinks that maybe learning a new language isn’t too bad or too difficult, if someone as patient and encouraging as Dahyun was the one to teach her.

\-----------

The closer and closer the time to go to school gets, the more nervous Mina becomes. Unsure how to approach the other kids and make friends with them, she’d always ended up keeping to herself by staying in the corner of the room while busying herself playing with the toys she’d chosen from the shelves.

Until Momo and Sana came to her desk one day, more than happy to simply sit there and talk with Mina. Her silent nature hadn’t bothered them the smallest bit, and Mina feels like she can say the same about Dahyun.

Throughout the days Mina had spent hanging out in Dahyun’s house, she never felt the need to speak too much to try and please Dahyun or match her pace. But when Mina does talk, she _talks,_ and Dahyun is always kind enough to sit still and listen earnestly to everything that Mina says.

At first, the attention made Mina feel shy; but as time passed by and as she became better and better at speaking in Korean, she’s grown to be comfortable enough with the language to not slip into Japanese as often as she did before.

Dahyun’s mom had reassured her by saying that she doesn’t need to learn the more complicated stuff yet, since she’s still so young and has a lot of time to develop her skill. Then, Dahyun had jumped in by saying that she’ll study with Mina, too, and that they’ll become experts at the language together.

Mina hadn’t hesitated to accept the offer, which brought out that bright, sunny grin that Dahyun always seemed to have ready to show her.

They’re currently sitting on the floor inside Dahyun’s bedroom, Mina fidgeting with her pants as she lets her eyes wander across the walls. Displayed above the headboard of Dahyun’s bed is a framed picture of a drawing of flowers in an assortment of colors that Mina likes to imagine are tulips; pushed against one side is her desk with notebooks and pencils and crayons organized neatly on top; the walls are painted a warm shade of yellow that’s close to the color of the sun; and, lastly, there’s Dahyun herself, writing on a piece of paper, lying down on her stomach with her bare feet hanging in the air.

“I’m nervous,” Mina confesses, prompting Dahyun to stop and turn to look at her.

“About school?” Dahyun asks, just asks, not looking at Mina like she’s being silly for being worried over something like this.

“Yeah…” Mina nods; watches as Dahyun moves into a sitting position and grabs a stuffed Charmander from her bed. She then holds it out, smiling for Mina to go ahead and take it.

Hesitantly, Mina takes it from Dahyun’s hands, the soft material instantly soothing her. But maybe not as much as the way Dahyun scoots closer to her.

“He probably isn’t as comfortable as Pingu,” Dahyun starts, and the mention of her stuffed penguin brings a smile to Mina’s face, “but I like hugging him a lot when I get nervous.”

Curiosity brimming in her eyes, Mina raises her head to look at Dahyun. “You get nervous, too?”

Dahyun nods, holding out her hand to pat the Charmander on the head. “I do,” she answers. “It happens when I play the piano for other people, like my aunts and uncles and strangers.”

“Oh,” Mina says in understanding. “It also happens to me when I’m about to show my dance teachers what I practiced.”

Dahyun stops patting the Charmander, and, struck with an idea, Mina wriggles her fingers against its chin like she’s tickling it. To her delight, Dahyun shakes her head around and giggles; Mina then pokes it on the stomach, and Dahyun reacts by clutching her own while making a pained expression.

They both burst out laughing, the sound of Dahyun’s bright, ringing laughter echoing throughout the room filling Mina with joy from the inside out.

Then she remembers that she and Dahyun are going to the same school, and the thought that they might even become classmates makes Mina feel better and less worried.

\-----------

Luckily for the two of them, they do end up being classmates; the first thing Dahyun does when she finds out is squeal in excitement and grab Mina’s hands to swing them around, pure glee written all over her face that Mina is quick to mirror.

“Yes! We’re in the same class!” Dahyun exclaims, buzzing with so much energy Mina wonders if she ever gets tired.

“We are,” Mina laughs, relieved that she won’t have to worry about not knowing anyone in her class.

“Dahyun, hey! Over here!”

Dahyun and Mina whip their heads towards the direction of the voice, and, for a moment, Mina is afraid that Dahyun might leave her alone so she can be with her friend. Right. Mina had been so busy enjoying her time with Dahyun over the summer that she forgot to think about the fact that Dahyun has other friends, too.

But Dahyun doesn’t leave; instead, she waits for her friend to approach them, Mina’s hand still firmly grasped in hers like she doesn’t plan on ever letting her go.

Dahyun’s friend is also the same height as her, but has bigger eyes, hair cut short, and a mole found at the corner of her lower lip. Mina resists the urge to shy away, not wanting to leave the comfort of Dahyun’s presence.

“Chaeyoung! Hey!” Dahyun shoots the new girl a huge grin. “What’s up?”

Chaeyoung huffs and pouts. “It’s going to be sooooo boring, Dubs! Why aren’t we classmates?” she whines.

Knowing the feeling of being in a different class from her closest friends, Mina can’t help but feel bad for her. Still, she never did know what to say in this kind of situation, so she chooses to stay silent instead.

“That sucks so bad,” Dahyun agrees with a pout of her own. Mina tries not to think of how cute she is whenever she does that. “But, ah! Chaeng, I want you to meet Mina!” she squeezes Mina’s hands, then glances back at Chaeyoung. “Mina’s our new neighbor that I’ve been telling you about, and Mina,” she tells Mina, “this is Chaeyoung. She also lives near us.”

“So, you’re Mina!” Chaeyoung flashes Mina a grin. Mina tries not to think about how it pales in comparison to the broad, toothy ones Dahyun has. “Hi, I’m Chaeyoung!”

Mina smiles and shyly murmurs, “Hi, I’m Mina… It’s nice to meet you, Chaeyoung.”

“You too!” Chaeyoung chirps. Then, a mischievous glint crosses her eyes.

“Chaeng, don’t you dare!” Dahyun warns her, but it goes ignored when Chaeyoung looks at Mina.

“If Dahyun does something stupid, don’t be surprised. But that’s if she hasn’t yet,” Chaeyoung says, which earns her a forceful smack on the arm from Dahyun. “Ow! Hey!”

“Shut up, Chaeng,” Dahyun grumbles. “And you say that as if you haven’t done your fair share of pretty dumb stuff, too.”

“That’s only because you keep dragging me into it.”

“Excuse me!? What about the time when-“

“Oops, no time to listen, gotta go!” Chaeyoung hurriedly says, leaping out of the way from Dahyun who’s about to come swinging in for another hit. “Bye, Dubs! Bye, Mina!”

And with that, Chaeyoung dashes off, leaving Dahyun to roll her eyes and huff in exasperation. “Sorry about that,” Dahyun apologizes sheepishly. “She can be, er, crazy.”

“Oh, no, it’s okay,” Mina says with a laugh. “I’m pretty used to seeing crazy, too. But why does she call you ‘Dubs’ by the way?”

“Ah, that.” Dahyun flushes, scratching at her cheek. “So, you know how my skin is so pale? Like tofu? That’s where my nickname came from.”

Mina glances down to where their hands are still clasped together and compares how Dahyun’s are milky white to her slightly darker ones. Now that she thinks about it, she doesn’t think she’s ever seen anyone with skin as white as Dahyun’s is, and it makes Dahyun even more unique to Mina.

“So, Dubu then?” Mina asks.

Dahyun laughs and nods. “Yeah, it’s Dubu.”

The sound coaxes out another smile from Mina, and, with her hand still secured in Dahyun’s grasp, they walk to their classroom.

Every now and then, Dahyun squeezes, and Mina shyly squeezes back each time.

\-----------

Dahyun lets her choose where she wants to sit, and, for a moment, Mina’s gaze flickers to the lonely chair sitting at the corner of the room. But the urge to walk over to that seat and claim it as her own for the whole year isn’t there; rather, she finds herself wanting to sit somewhere else instead.

She ends up choosing a place near the middle row, Dahyun immediately following her lead by sitting on the one right next to Mina’s. It’s as if there shouldn’t even be a question about it – as if Dahyun would be happy to be wherever Mina wants to.

Even if Mina would choose to be in the corner instead.

“You’re okay here?” Dahyun asks.

Mina touches her desk, looks at the blackboard, then back at Dahyun. She smiles and nods. “I’m okay here.”

At that, Dahyun grins and scoots her chair a little closer to Mina’s. Around them, the other kids talk to and greet each other excitedly, still unaware of Mina’s presence. Mina doesn’t blame them; she’d always been so quiet that only a few people manage to notice her.

Except Dahyun. Mina thinks Dahyun would be able to spot her even when she’s being hidden behind all these other kids.

Soon, their teacher enters the classroom, and the loud chatter immediately dies down. The teacher introduces himself as Mr. Park; then, he calls on each of them for their own introductions afterwards. It’s when her name is called that the other kids finally notice her, their eyes wide and curious as they watch Mina take tentative steps towards the front.

Mina swallows, tries not to focus on the curious stares thrown at her and instead searches for Dahyun’s face. There, amongst the unfamiliar faces looking at her, is Dahyun’s bright, toothy grin, the sight of it helping set Mina at ease.

“Hi,” Mina starts, smiling at the thumbs-up Dahyun shoots at her. “I’m Myoui Mina, and my parents and I moved from Japan. I’ll be in your care from now on…” she then bows, and, face flushed at the kind smile their teacher gives her, Mina murmurs her thanks before stumbling off the platform and back to her own seat.

“You did great,” Dahyun whispers as the next kid nervously stands from his desk.

Cheeks tinged pink, Mina lets out a shy laugh. “Thank you, Dahyun.”

When Dahyun visibly lights up at the mention of her name, Mina thinks it’s becoming her favorite word to say out the many ones she’s learned until now.

* * *

They’re eleven when she and Dahyun walk past a flower shop with tulips displayed at the front on their way home, their hands clasped together like they’ve always been for the past year. In that year, they’ve become closer, rarely ever one without the other.

Close enough for Dahyun to notice the way Mina perks up in her own, quiet way when they reach the shop.

“Do you like flowers?” Dahyun asks, when Mina’s steps have started to slow down.

“I- yeah.” Mina looks down at the ground and blushes. “But I love tulips the most. They’re just so pretty and colorful…”

Without letting go of Mina’s hand, Dahyun reaches inside her pockets with her other one, frowning when she comes up empty. “That sucks.”

Confused, Mina tilts her head and asks, “What does?”

“I don’t have money.” Dahyun juts out her lower lip into a huge pout that Mina finds cute.

“Eh?”

“Guess I’ll have to do something else, then,” Dahyun mumbles, which adds to Mina’s confusion.

“Dahyun? What is it?” Mina probes, eyebrows drawn together.

“Ah? No, it’s nothing.” Dahyun grins and shakes her head, but Mina doubts that it’s nothing given the look in Dahyun’s eye. But before Mina can press her for answers, Dahyun starts to walk again, leaving Mina with no choice but to follow her lead.

She gives the tulips one last, longing look, unaware of the plan currently brewing inside of Dahyun’s head.

\-----------

Dahyun is late.

Mina frowns at her shoes, wondering where Dahyun is, and if she’s already on her way here at the park where they promised they would meet. It’s weird, because Dahyun is never late. Even if their houses are right next to each other, Dahyun always shows up on Mina’s doorstep at exactly seven thirty in the morning so they can walk to school together.

But today…

Mina checks her watch one more time, her frown deepening when she sees that Dahyun is already fifteen minutes behind. Concern starts to bubble within her – what if something bad happened to Dahyun and she can’t make it?

She’s about to stand up from where she sits on the swing when the sound of familiar, hurried footsteps catches Mina’s ears. “Mina! I’m sorry I’m-“ a breathless Dahyun starts to explain, but is cut off when Mina suddenly bolts upright and lunges at her for a hug. “Minari? What’s wrong?” Dahyun asks worriedly.

Sniffling, Mina hugs Dahyun tighter, voice shaking as she answers, “I thought something bad happened to you. I was so worried, Dahyunnie…”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’m okay.” Dahyun pulls back to show that she’s alright, then quickly hugs Mina again when she sees the wobbling of her lower lip. “I’m sorry I worried you…” she apologizes, patting Mina on the back to try and soothe her.

Comforted by the feeling of being wrapped up in Dahyun’s arms, Mina nods against Dahyun’s shoulder and fists at the back of her shirt. Dahyun continues to rub Mina’s back, until the tears that threaten to fall are kept at bay and until Mina’s grip on her shirt starts to loosen.

It’s the first time Mina thinks that she wouldn’t know what to do if Dahyun were to ever leave her side.

“I won’t be late again next time, I promise,” Dahyun murmurs, the reassurance in her voice prompting Mina to lift her head and look at her. Believing her, Mina nods again, then reluctantly lets go of Dahyun. “I got you something special, by the way.”

With a nervous smile and hopeful eyes, Dahyun shows her hand that she’s been hiding behind her back, Mina gasping in surprise at the yellow tulip that she’s holding. It’s a pretty, happy shade of yellow that reminds Mina of both the sun and Dahyun’s cheerful chirps of ‘good morning’ that greets Mina every morning. 

“So uh, I was late because I helped the auntie that owns the flower shop with watering her plants. Then she gave me this, and I wanted to give it to you because I saw the-“ Dahyun doesn’t get to finish her rambling, having to stop midsentence at the way Mina lights up at the sight of the flower. She blushes, scratches at the back of her neck. “Anyway, I- this is for you, Mina-yah,” Dahyun mumbles, shyly holding the tulip out for Mina to take.

Gently, Mina eases the flower out of Dahyun’s equally careful grasp, the tips of her fingers brushing against the back of Dahyun’s hand as she does. Dahyun shifts her weight onto her right leg, then back onto her left, waiting for Mina’s response.

“I like it,” Mina says, voice soft as she clutches the tulip to her chest. “Thank you, Dahyun-ah…”

Dahyun settles her weight back onto both her feet, her ever-present grin blossoming across her face as she stretches out her hand. Mina sees the color yellow in it, sees and feels the sunshine in the way Dahyun’s grin grows wider when Mina twines their fingers together.

Mina thinks that she loves tulips, but she loves them even more when they’re being held by Dahyun.

* * *

For her twelfth birthday, Dahyun receives a bike as a gift from her parents. On the sidewalk connecting their houses together, Mina sits with her legs close together, heart thrumming at the ecstatic laugh Dahyun lets out as she zips back and forth on her bicycle. Her elbows and knees are covered in bandages, protecting the scrapes she got from falling over the first few times she’d been riding.

But Dahyun never let any of that deter her – in fact, they just made her even more determined to learn until she can balance herself without swaying from side to side or tilting over.

It’s one of the many things Mina has come to admire about Dahyun; but more than anything, she likes the way Dahyun glows with joy and pride when she overcomes an obstacle. And when she does, Mina feels like she’s on cloud nine herself.

There’s a funny feeling in her stomach when Dahyun skids to a stop directly in front of her, flushed and breathless from riding back and forth pretty much nonstop for the past half hour or so. The feeling becomes more pronounced when Dahyun hops off her bike and plops down right next to Mina, heaving out a sigh as she leans back on her arms and tilts her head backwards.

Mina shakes it off and reaches for the bottle of water, then offers it to Dahyun. With a hum, Dahyun twists the cap open and takes a long swig, Mina watching the bob of her throat as Dahyun swallows.

“Thanks, Mina.” Dahyun’s eyes crinkle into a smile; Mina purses her lips and nods, taking the bottle back from Dahyun’s grasp and cupping her hands over it.

They fall back into silence, leaving Mina free to wonder what the fluttering in her stomach could mean and why it always happens when Dahyun is around; leaving her to wonder if Dahyun can feel it, too. She runs her thumbs over the label plastered on the bottle, does a little jolt when Dahyun’s knee suddenly bumps against hers.

“Sorry,” Dahyun apologizes, sheepish. Mina just smiles and lets her head fall onto Dahyun’s shoulder. Then, without her being aware of it, Mina’s eyelids flutter to a close, a comfortable kind of warmth settling in her chest when she feels Dahyun’s cheek squish against the top of her head.

Like always, their hands find their way to each other, but this time, it’s Mina who guides them to her lap. The past two years have flown by so fast, and Mina thinks it might be because she’s been having a lot of fun with Dahyun.

It’s hard not to when Dahyun has a way of making everything they do together enjoyable, the excitement sparkling in her eyes contagious and near-impossible to say no to. Had it not been for Dahyun, Mina would have kept to herself in her room day after day, wishing she could go back home and be with Sana and Momo again.

If not for Dahyun, she would have gone back to being that shy, quiet girl who stayed in the corner of the classroom; left confused and uneasy dealing with an entirely different environment without knowing how to adjust to her new life.

But Dahyun made those two years a whole lot easier and much more bearable, the comforting weight of her touch easing the homesickness Mina had been going through.

“We should go biking around sometime,” Dahyun says, breaking the silence.

Mina raises her head and gives Dahyun a confused look. “I don’t have a bike, though?”

“Yeah, so I was thinking that maybe you could stand at the back while I pedal?” Dahyun suggests thoughtfully.

“Is… is that even allowed?” Mina asks, uncertain.

“Technically, no,” Dahyun answers with a grin. “Not out on the streets outside, at least. But there should be no problem if it’s just around the neighborhood.”

Something about the way Dahyun looks at her pushes the doubt away from Mina’s head, replaced with the trust that she’s been holding onto for Dahyun since the day they first met.

It’s that trust that Dahyun would keep her safe that has Mina agreeing with a soft smile and a whispered, “Okay.”

The excitement it sparks in Dahyun’s eyes fills Mina with that same fluttering feeling moments ago, only, it starts to spread within her chest as well.

Tulips are pretty, but Mina thinks the joy and laughter etched in Dahyun’s eyes are a lot prettier.

\-----------

Dahyun’s laughter and Mina’s giggles are swept along by the pleasantly cool breeze, their hair flowing about in the wind as Dahyun starts to pedal a little faster. With her hands on Dahyun’s shoulders, Mina looks ahead, focused on the blur of the trees and flowers and the sound of the wheels spinning around and gliding smoothly against the pavement.

“How are you feeling?” Dahyun says loudly, her voice resounding in the open air around them.

“I feel great!” Mina laughs.

“Yeah? It’s really awesome, huh!?”

“It is!”

They pass by a group of children playing on the sidewalk, whose eyes grow wide with wonder as they follow Dahyun and Mina with their gaze. Dahyun greets everyone she sees, and Mina doesn’t need to see her face to know that she must be grinning from ear-to-ear right now.

Mina feels so light, feels like she’s soaring in the air and flying amongst the clouds littering the sky so blue above them.

It’s almost like she’s five again, sitting on the swings for the first time, her feet kicking off the ground as her dad gives her a firm push that sends her rocketing high up in one rush.

And Dahyun’s whoops and cheers only brings Mina to even greater heights – greater than if she didn’t have Dahyun by her side.

They’re thirteen when it occurs to Mina that she hasn’t ever seen Dahyun get mad. She’s been so used to seeing Dahyun so light on her feet with the sunlight in her eyes never fading, even when the sun has already long set and the sky has turned dark that Mina didn’t think Dahyun was capable of being angry.

At least not until now.

Sitting alone on the park bench with a book on her lap, Mina looks up at the boy that had approached her while she was reading. “I’m sorry, can I help you?”

The boy sneers. “You could if you spoke louder.”

Mina fights off the urge to flinch at the hostility in his tone, her hands coming to fidget with the hem of her shirt. No one has ever made fun of her for having a soft voice, this being the first time for it to happen in her entire life, leaving her unable to find the words to respond with.

“Or maybe-“ at the sound of Dahyun’s voice and heavy footfalls, Mina stops worrying her lower lip, relief beginning to course through her, “-you could have your ears checked because I can hear her just fine.”

When Mina glances up again, it’s to find Dahyun standing in front of her, back straight and shoulders squared in defiance as she gives the boy a long, hard stare. Not wanting things to take a turn for the worse, Mina reaches out to curl her fingers around Dahyun’s wrist in hopes that it would calm her down.

“Dahyun-ah…” she coaxes, afraid of Dahyun getting hurt because of her.

Dahyun starts to relax, but it only lasts for a second because the boy starts to retort, “My ears don’t have any problems, it’s your friend over here who-“

Before the boy can finish his sentence, Dahyun grits her teeth and, with a strength Mina never knew she had, decks him straight in the jaw. The force of the punch causes him to stagger back; and, though at least a head taller than Dahyun is, he backs away when Dahyun takes a threatening step forward.

Shocked at the turn of events, Mina freezes in place, her book sliding off her lap and onto the ground with a resounding thud.

“Go away and leave her alone. _Now,_ ” Dahyun growls, which sends him scampering away without another word.

It’s only when he disappears that Dahyun deflates and turns around, a deep frown Mina isn’t used to seeing etched on her face. Her gaze drops to where Dahyun is cradling her knuckles, fear and worry flooding her at the thought that Dahyun had gotten hurt – could have gotten much more hurt.

Because of her.

Slowly, Mina reaches out to gently pry Dahyun’s uninjured hand away from her fist, stomach plummeting at the sight that greets her. Against the paleness of Dahyun’s skin, small bruises blossom across her knuckles, the deep purple color popping out and impossible to miss.

As tenderly as she can, Mina runs her thumb along the wounds, ears picking up on the low hiss of pain that slips past Dahyun’s lips. Then, picking her book up off the ground and tucking it underneath her arm, Mina takes Dahyun’s uninjured hand and starts leading her away from the park.

“Wh- Mina? Where are we going?” Dahyun asks, confused.

Mina pauses to glance at Dahyun, voice soft as she answers, “I’m not letting you walk around without taking care of your hand first.”

She feels Dahyun soften at that, and, with a croaked, “Okay…” she lets Mina continue to pull her along.

The entire time, Mina doesn’t loosen her grip, not even in the slightest.

\-----------

After taking their first-aid kit that’s mounted on their bathroom wall, Mina makes her way back to her room and finds Dahyun perched on the edge of her bed, her injured hand gingerly paced above her knee. Fighting off the wave of guilt that threatens to crash over her, Mina pads inside, her footsteps quiet against the wooden floorboards.

She pulls her chair away from her desk and positions it in front of Dahyun, then sits down. Neither of them says a word, Dahyun watching in silence as Mina opens the first-aid kit and takes out the bag of cotton balls and a bottle of disinfectant.

Then, as Mina pours some of the disinfectant onto the cotton ball, Dahyun breaks the silence. “It’s not your fault, Mina... you didn’t do anything wrong. He was being a jerk for no good reason.”

Mina sucks in her lower lip, voice strained and barely above a whisper as she answers, “Still, you could have gotten hurt more than you did. What if he fought back instead of running away, Dahyun-ah?”

“Then I would’ve kicked him where it _really_ hurts,” Dahyun mutters. She then heaves out a sigh and runs a hand through her hair in frustration. “I just- I couldn’t stand how he made it sound like there’s something wrong with the way you talk.”

Silence falls between them again; Mina reaches out for Dahyun’s wounded hand and carefully dabs the cotton over her wounded knuckles. Dahyun winces, but makes no move to pull away from Mina’s gentle grasp.

“But I like the way you speak, Minari…”

At the softly-spoken confession, Mina raises her head, heart thumping against her chest when she finds Dahyun looking at her in _that_ way. The kind that makes Mina feel like Dahyun can see right through her; like there was a promise she’d made the moment their eyes first met back when they were only ten without her being aware of it.

Unsure how to respond, Mina simply sits there, watching the early afternoon sunlight spill through the windows and onto Dahyun in a way that gives her a golden glow. Dahyun scratches at the back of her neck, her gaze dropping to where Mina shields her bruised knuckles with her palm.

Mina ducks her head to hide the growing blush in her cheeks. “Dahyun-ah…”

The quiet chuckle Dahyun breathes out only makes it worse. “Minari…”

Mina tries to fight off the smile that tugs on her lips, she really does, but the way Dahyun wriggles her fingertips against her palm only turns it into a round of giggles.

“Yes! She’s smiling again!” Dahyun declares triumphantly as she pumps a fist into the air, the pure glee in her voice making it sound like she’d just finished solving a complicated math problem.

Mina gives Dahyun’s shoulders a playful shove and mumbles, “Not fair, you tickled me.”

“But it worked, didn’t it?” Dahyun grins.

Mina shakes her head and laughs. “Okay, fine, it did.” Then, she continues dabbing at Dahyun’s cuts. “And-“ she pauses, peering at Dahyun through her lashes. “Thank you for protecting me, Dahyun-ah, but please promise me you won’t do anything reckless like that again…”

Sucking in a breath, Dahyun nods. “Okay,” she murmurs, looking straight into Mina’s eyes. “I promise, Minari.”

Mina tries to ignore the fluttering in her chest at the way Dahyun says her name; at the steady way Dahyun holds her gaze.

They’re thirteen years old when Mina realizes that her hands are meant to take care of Dahyun, too.

Much like the way Dahyun’s hands have kept her safe and at ease all this time.

* * *

At fourteen, Mina is chosen to have a solo part for a recital at one of the smaller theaters’ production. So, every day after school, she heads straight to the studio for rehearsals; meaning that she and Dahyun have rarely gotten to walk home together for the past few weeks.

But it’s okay, because every time Mina hops off the car and onto the pavement that leads to her house, Dahyun is always there - always waiting for her to arrive. Mina tells Dahyun that she doesn’t have to, but Dahyun is stubborn and Mina doesn’t really mean it anyway, so here they are.

Despite being tired and sore from practice, Mina perks up when they round the corner to their street and finds Dahyun standing at the same spot where she waits, hands in her pockets and her windswept hair sticking out in different places.

Then, when her dad pulls the car to a stop, Mina flings the door open and almost stumbles on her way out. She’s quick to right herself, and, at the sound of her footsteps, Dahyun’s head snaps towards her, a lopsided grin breaking across her face as her eyes lock onto Mina’s.

It gives Mina a warm, fluttering feeling in her chest that only intensifies when Dahyun meets her halfway.

“Hey,” Dahyun greets, cheeks flushed a bright pink from the cold air that surrounds them. Feeling playful and chilly herself, Mina smiles, removes her hands from her coat pockets to squish them against Dahyun’s cheeks. “Wh- Minari! Your hands are cold!” Dahyun protests with a laugh that rings loud and clear.

Mina giggles at the pout that forms on Dahyun’s lips, then lets go of her face. “Hello, Dahyun-ah.”

“Well, that was definitely one way to say hello,” Dahyun deadpans.

Before Mina can respond, her dad walks up to them and grins at Dahyun. “Dahyun, why don’t you come inside for a bit?”

Dahyun opens her mouth, clearly about to decline the offer until Mina juts out her lower lip. “I- okay. Thank you, uncle,” Dahyun answers with a bow, then follows Mina and her dad inside the house.

“Honey, we’re home!” Mina’s dad announces as they step inside.

From the kitchen, Mina’s mom appears to greet them with a warm smile. “Honey, Mina, welcome back! Dahyun-ah, it’s good to see you here, too!”

Smiling in return, Dahyun answers, “Ah, you too, auntie! Thank you for having me.”

“It’s always nice to have you with us,” Mina’s mom says, reaching out to give Dahyun an affectionate squeeze on the shoulders. “I made hot chocolate for you and Mina, by the way. Go and enjoy it together – my husband and I will just be upstairs.”

Mina’s parents then leave them be, while she and Dahyun shuffle towards the kitchen where they find two freshly-made mugs of hot chocolate sitting on the table. There, they sit across each other, Mina cupping her hands over the mug to warm herself up.

Her eyes widen in surprise, however, when Dahyun reaches out to cover her hands in her own. Then, grinning that crooked grin of hers still somehow manages to shine despite the faint glow of the kitchen lights, Dahyun asks, “How’s this? Toasty?”

Releasing a steady exhale, Mina nods, tries not to think about how the weight of Dahyun’s touch is the one that’s keeping her warm instead of the heat that radiates across the sides of the mug and onto the tips of her fingers.

It isn’t a secret that she gets cold easily, but what _is_ a secret is that having Dahyun near her makes Mina feel warm just as quickly. She doesn’t understand how or why, but it happens all the time.

And Mina finds that it’s Dahyun who can bring that kind of reassuring warmth – only Dahyun and no one else.

Just Dahyun. Always Dahyun.

Mina takes a sip of her hot chocolate, the hint of pink dusting Dahyun’s round cheeks from the earlier cold and the happy crinkle of her eyes making Mina feel fuzzy all over. Looking at Dahyun is like gazing up at the stars, Mina thinks, bright in all the soft ways that illuminates everything around her.

It’s a realization that doesn’t come across as a surprise – Dahyun always did have a way of chasing the clouds away after the rain with nothing more than a smile of her eyes.

And it’s with that smile, along with the touch of her hand that gives Mina warmth in the coldest of days.

Just like always.

\-----------

Her last day of rehearsals ends early so she can have time to rest in preparation for the concert, and to say that Mina is surprised when she finds Dahyun waiting outside the theater instead of at home is an understatement.

“D-Dahyun-ah?” Mina exhales, too stunned to be able to say anything else.

Dahyun lets out a sheepish laugh and scratches at her cheek. “Hey there. I remember you said your practice was ending early today, so I decided to come instead of waiting in front of your house.”

“B-but how did you get here?” Mina asks, wide-eyed and in absolute awe that Dahyun would go to such lengths to see her.

Shrugging, Dahyun answers, “I rode my bike.”

Mina gapes. “Y-you what??? Dahyun, that’s-“

“Whoa, relax!” Dahyun bursts out into laughter, a teasing glint in her eyes that causes Mina to blush furiously. “I was just kidding. I took the bus.”

“O-oh.” Embarrassed, Mina shuffles her feet against the ground. Dahyun chuckles and steps closer. “I- you didn’t have to, though…” she pushes her tongue against the inside of her cheek. “It’s already more than enough that you wait for me outside of our house everyday…”

“Yeah, but I wanted to. Plus…” At the sound of the rustling of a plastic bag, Mina looks up to find a small carton of strawberry-flavored yogurt milk being waved around in front of her. Mina gasps, much to Dahyun’s delight. “You wanted to try this one, right? I got it from the convenience store around the block.”

“I- but- you shouldn’t have-“ Mina stammers in protest, but Dahyun isn’t having any of it.

“You must be thirsty from practice, right?” Dahyun continues, ignoring Mina’s half-hearted objections as she inserts the straw through the seal. “The cashier also said this drink is good too, so I thought it would be nice if you had some.” She offers the drink to Mina with an expectant look, almost like a puppy with a ball in its mouth begging to play catch.

Long story short, Mina ends up accepting the drink, because Dahyun can be very stubborn about these kinds of things.

“Thank you, Dahyunnie…” Mina says as she accepts the milk. Bringing the straw to her lips, she takes a sip, eyes widening at the burst of sweet and sour flavors that blend perfectly together. “T-this tastes really good!” she exclaims.

Dahyun perks up at that. “Yeah?”

Mina nods enthusiastically, happy noises bubbling at the back of her throat as she continues to drink. “It isn’t too sweet or too sour, it’s perfect!”

Thrilled with Mina’s elated reaction, Dahyun flashes a wide grin, content to watch Mina enjoy her drink. After she finishes, Mina lets out a satisfied sigh, then reaches out to squeeze Dahyun’s wrist in appreciation.

Dahyun answers in kind by linking their fingers together. “I told your parents we’ll be taking the bus home together, by the way, if that’s okay with you?”

A soft smile tugs at the corners of Mina’s lips, her heart settling easily in her chest as she murmurs, “Yes, it’s more than okay, Dahyun-ah…”

As they walk outside the theater, Dahyun shields Mina’s hand from the frigid air by clutching it closer to her side, the firmness of her grasp causing Mina’s heart to skip a beat. Even as they take their seats inside the bus, Dahyun doesn’t let go even though there’s no reason for her to keep holding her hand, but Mina chooses not to say anything.

She lets her head fall on Dahyun’s shoulder instead, thumb pressed against Dahyun’s knuckles the entire ride home.

\-----------

At the night of the recital, Dahyun visits Mina at her dressing room to wish her luck before the performance. Shuffling her feet against the floor, Dahyun sucks in her cheeks, then holds out a beautifully-folded origami pink tulip that has Mina’s heart fluttering.

“I asked Chaeng to teach me how to do origami since tulips don’t blossom anymore at this time of the year,” Dahyun explains, blushing faintly as she scratches at her cheek. When Mina doesn’t respond, she rambles, “I don’t know if I got it right though. Chaeng’s always been the better one when it comes to-“

Mina cuts her off by surging in for a hug, a giddy giggle bubbling out of her as she exclaims, “It’s beautiful, Dahyunnie!”

Blush deepening, Dahyun lets out a shy laugh and rubs at the back of her neck when Mina lets go. “R-really?”

“Mmm!” Mina affirms, eyes sparkling bright with joy as she takes the gift. “Thank you, Dahyun!”

Tearing her gaze away from Mina, Dahyun clears her throat and nods. “Y-you’re welcome… and, uh-“ she glances back at Mina, reaching out to touch her wrist that gives Mina a bolster of confidence and reassurance in the face of her nerves. “Kill it out there, yeah? I’m sure you’ll do great.”

Mina laughs at Dahyun’s choice of words and nods. “I will.”

After a second more or two, Dahyun withdraws her hand, waving Mina goodbye before walking out the door. Then, as the door swings to a shut with the sound of Dahyun’s footsteps fading away, Mina lets out the squeal she’s been holding in and does a little happy dance with her feet.

She doesn’t know why, but every sweet, thoughtful thing Dahyun does makes her feel like she’s on cloud nine; makes her feel like she could fly and stay among the stars without ever having to come down.

And maybe she could.

\-----------

She does, with every leap and hop she does across the stage, her eyes seeking out and finding Dahyun’s sparkling ones ever so often amongst the many others that are watching her, too. Every time their gazes meet, Mina soars a little higher, twirls a little more energetically, her arms and legs flowing along to the rhythm of the music.

Midair, she kicks her feet, landing squarely before repeating the same steps; her heart skipping a beat every time she remembers that Dahyun is watching her.

If the stage is the night sky, then Dahyun’s eyes are the stars she wants to land in.

* * *

Before Mina can fully process it, they’re already about to enter their first year of high school; she and Dahyun are still classmates, and so is Chaeyoung. Dahyun, unsurprisingly, is the most excited out of the three of them, while Chaeyoung complains about how short their summer vacation was. Mina giggles when Dahyun rolls her eyes and bluntly points out that no, their summer vacation was _not_ short – Chaeyoung is just making up excuses because she’s too lazy to go to school.

They search for their names on the bulletin board, Mina lighting up when she finds that she, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung are assigned to the same class. Upon seeing this, Chaeyoung does a complete one-hundred and eighty, her frown turning into an excited grin as she raises her hand for a high-five which Dahyun and Mina reciprocate.

Afterwards, they make their way to the classroom where they decide to sit together, with Mina and Chaeyoung on either side of Dahyun. Slowly and steadily, more students start to file into the room, giving Mina a sense of déjà vu.

Then, a girl with short, bobbed hair and a reliable and mature air about her sits beside Mina, whose name she soon learns is Park Jihyo. Mina is struck with the impression that she must be one of those diligent students who are also able to lead and guide others.

She’s soon proven right because halfway through their first class, Dahyun has to stifle a laugh when Jihyo shoots Chaeyoung a disapproving look for drawing on her notebook instead of paying attention to their teacher.

Scared and thoroughly chided, Chaeyoung is quick to close her notebook and shy away from Jihyo’s stern expression, which impresses Mina and amuses Dahyun.

It isn’t until their teacher leaves that Jihyo does relax, her eagle-focused demeanor melting away into a friendly smile that she directs towards the trio. “Hi, I’m Jihyo! You guys are Mina, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung, right?”

Stunned that she remembers their name just from the class introductions they had earlier, Dahyun stares at Jihyo with wide eyes while Chaeyoung’s jaw drops to the floor. Mina, on the other hand, is more composed in showing her surprise, though Jihyo seems unfazed by their reactions.

“Yes, that’s us,” Mina answers for the three of them, allowing Dahyun and Chaeyoung time to school their expressions. “It’s nice to meet you, uhm-“

“Just Jihyo is fine,” Jihyo supplies, smile still in place.

“You have a really great memory,” Dahyun says in awe, shaking her head.

“Yeah, that’s amazing,” Chaeyoung adds in agreement.

Jihyo lets out a slight chuckle. “Thanks…”

The teacher for their next class then walks in, prompting Jihyo to snap her attention towards the blackboard. This time, Chaeyoung does listen, though Mina thinks it might mostly be because she’s terrified of Jihyo.

Dahyun, on the other hand, has little to no trouble keeping her focus – she always was serious and diligent when it came to her studies even if her goofy front says otherwise. When their teacher pauses to write on the whiteboard, Mina sneaks a glance at Dahyun, fighting back a giggle at her furrowed eyebrows.

Unbeknownst to her, Jihyo observes them with piqued interest and curiosity, which only grows when Mina pokes at Dahyun’s cheek to grab her attention.

\-----------

Despite all of them being the same age, Jihyo becomes the ‘mom’ of their group; so, it comes across naturally for her to notice every single detail about Mina, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung without miss. It shows one day when, for the first time since they started going to school, Dahyun doesn’t have a packed lunch and Mina’s mom had prepared two bento boxes instead of one.

Mina offers one of the bento boxes to Dahyun with a smile and says, “Here you go, Dahyun-ah... my mom made this for you.”

“Woooah!” Dahyun’s eyes go wide as she takes it from Mina, face splitting apart in a huge grin as she opens the lid and finds a variety of food inside: rice balls, sausages sliced in a way that are made to look like octopi, egg rolls, and a small assortment of fruit. “Thanks, Mina! Man, it’s been a while since I had your mom’s bento!”

At her unrestrained excitement, Mina giggles and reaches for a pair of chopsticks inside her lunchbox and hands it to Dahyun.

“You two are super close, aren’t you?” Jihyo observes; Mina blushes and Dahyun nods eagerly.

“Yup!” Dahyun pops a grape into her mouth and bumps her shoulder against Mina’s. “We live right next to each other and we’ve been best friends since we were ten.”

Jihyo looks at them with an awestruck expression, causing Mina to shyly tuck a lock of hair behind her ear with Dahyun beaming at her. “Wow, that’s amazing!”

“Yeah, it’s amazing how you two are practically stuck together like glue,” Chaeyoung deadpans.

Dahyun smirks and pokes Chaeyoung on the sides. “Aww, are you jealous, Chaengie?”

Cheeks flaring a bright red, Chaeyoung huffs and swats at Dahyun’s arm. “S-shut up! Don’t call me that!”

“Sure, _Chaengie_ ,” Dahyun emphasizes, clearly enjoying getting a rise out of Chaeyoung.

“Minaaaaaa!” Chaeyoung whines, turning to Mina for help. “Help me out here, please? This tofu is being stupid again.”

Mina giggles and shakes her head. “Sorry, Chaengie,” she teases.

“Noooo, not you, too!” Chaeyoung laments, then shoots Dahyun a glare. “Dahyun, what have you done to Mina!?”

With an exaggerated gasp of mock offense, Dahyun clutches at her chest and exclaims, “Excuse me!? Are you saying I’m a bad influence on Mina?”

“Heck yes, you are!”

While they continue to bicker, Jihyo furrows her eyebrows at Mina. “Are they always like this?”

“A lot of the time, yeah,” Mina answers with a laugh.

“And you and Dahyun…?” Jihyo trails off, the look in her eye giving Mina the impression that she noticed something else about her and Dahyun - something deeper, whatever that could be.

“Not- we’re not really like that?” Mina says by way of answer, her eyes involuntarily flickering back to Dahyun who scoffs at something Chaeyoung says. How does she even find the words to describe her relationship with Dahyun? Or explain how she just feels so… at ease and comfortable whenever they’re together?

Or that instead of the occasional bickering and teasing, their hands automatically reach out for each other like it’s second nature to them?

Thankfully, Jihyo doesn’t probe her for more details; just smiles as if in understanding and laughs when Chaeyoung steals a rice ball from Dahyun in retaliation to the teasing. Biting back a laugh at the half-annoyed, half-stunned expression on Dahyun’s face, Mina discreetly replaces the stolen rice ball with one of her own.

Confusion laces Dahyun’s features as she stares at the rice ball that magically appeared out of nowhere, then at Mina, then back at her lunch, and then back at Mina before she’s finally able to figure out what had happened. “Mi-“ she starts to protest, but is quickly shut down as Mina takes the rice ball between her chopsticks and pushes it inside Dahyun’s mouth.

She does so gently, of course, because she doesn’t want Dahyun to choke.

Left with no choice but to eat it, Dahyun starts to chew and then swallows, cheeks turning red as Mina leans in to brush off the leftover crumbs from the corner of her mouth. Jihyo and Chaeyoung share a look and an arched eyebrow, which go unnoticed by both Mina and Dahyun.

\-----------

When the time for club recruitment rolls around, Mina, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung are introduced to Jeongyeon, Jihyo’s friend from another class and also her childhood friend. Apparently, Jeongyeon is planning on signing up for the softball club, and she’s trying to convince Jihyo to join her.

 _Try_ being the operative word, because Jeongyeon has been at it for three days and Jihyo still isn’t showing any signs of budging.

“Jeong, you know I’m not a sports person,” Jihyo reminds Jeongyeon for the nth time, exasperated.

Jeongyeon scoffs and shoots back with, “Yeah, because you’d rather do boring student council stuff. I know, I know.”

Affronted, Jihyo raises a hand to smack Jeongyeon, but Jeongyeon is quick to move out of the way and dodges the swing. “Student council is _not_ boring. You just don’t know how to handle responsibility!”

“Aaaaaand here we go,” Jeongyeon mumbles, feigning a disinterested yawn as Jihyo starts to lecture her about the importance of student council duties and whatnot.

“-are you even listening!?”

“What do you think?”

“Jeongyeon, I swear-“

Completely ignoring Jihyo’s ranting, Jeongyeon sweeps her gaze over Chaeyoung, Dahyun, and Mina, looking as though she’s making a rundown inside her head. Eventually, her eyes settle on Dahyun, a grin breaking across her face. “Hey, Dahyun, right?”

Dahyun looks at Jeongyeon with a confused expression. “I- yeah, did you need something?”

“You catch on quick; I like that.” Jeongyeon says in approval, grin broadening and eyes shining like she just thought of the best idea ever. Jihyo narrows her eyes in suspicion. “And yeah, there is something I need, actually.”

“Jeongyeon…” Jihyo trails off in a threatening manner, but Jeongyeon seems unaffected by this as she slings an arm around Dahyun’s shoulder to continue where she left off. Dahyun’s confusion grows, though she doesn’t shake off Jeongyeon’s arm.

“Anyway,” Jeongyeon continues pointedly, smirking at Jihyo. “Since my good old buddy Jihyo here won’t join the softball club with me, I was thinking of inviting you instead?”

“What the hell-“ Jihyo starts in disbelief, then scoffs and pinches the bridge of her nose. “Jeongyeon, you didn’t even know them until a week ago, so what makes you think Dahyun is going to say yes?” she then turns to Dahyun and flashes her an apologetic look. “By the way, you don’t have to agree, Dahyun. And please forgive my friend-“ she shoots Jeongyeon a glare, “-for being a dumbass.”

Jeongyeon raises her hands in the air and fakes a kicked puppy expression, to which Jihyo rolls her eyes. “Ouch, Hyo, what else was I supposed to do when you’re so hellbent on saying no?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe join the club on your own instead of pestering people you barely know to go with you?” Jihyo says sarcastically.

“What, are you jealous that I asked Dahyun here instead of bugging you?”

At that, Jihyo scoffs like Jeongyeon just said the most absurd thing in the world. “You wish.”

Throughout the entire exchange, Mina and Dahyun have a silent conversation with their eyes, while Chaeyoung cuts in with, “But weren’t you planning on joining the music club, Dubs?” leading to Jeongyeon’s face falling in disappointment.

“I- yeah, but I was already part of the music club back in middle school, so maybe I could try something else this time,” Dahyun answers with a shrug, which has Jeongyeon lighting up again.

“That sounds like a good plan,” Mina agrees. “Plus, your piano practices are also still ongoing, so this could balance things out.”

“Right? I always did want to try out a sports club sometime,” Dahyun admits.

“Awesome!” Jeongyeon exclaims, lighting up with excitement as she raises her hand for a high-five which Dahyun gives her. “Ha! See, Jihyo?”

Jihyo rolls her eyes. “Whatever.”

“What about you, Chaeyoung?” Jeongyeon asks.

“Hmm? Oh, sorry, I’m gonna have to pass because I’m going for the art club,” Chaeyoung apologizes.

“How about you, Mina? Any club in mind?” Jihyo asks Mina.

Mina purses her lips, tossing over the different clubs in her head. She’d originally planned on joining the dance troupe like she did back in middle school, but Dahyun’s choice to try something new now has Mina debating whether she should stick by her decision or go for a change of scenery herself.

“I’m… I’m not sure yet,” Mina admits.

“Then how about the student council?” Jihyo suggests.

At that, Jeongyeon coughs. “Sorry, what was that about not pushing people you barely know again?”

“Oh, shut up,” Jihyo huffs. “Besides, they’re my classmates and I’ve known them longer than you have.”

Jeongyeon simply shrugs and makes a show of zipping her mouth shut.

“Anyway, what do you think?” Jihyo continues, eyes wide and expectant as she turns her attention back to Mina.

When Mina hesitates, Dahyun gives her a gentle nudge and an encouraging squeeze of the fingers. “I’m not that good when it comes to speaking or leading, though…” she voices out.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to do all that stuff,” Jihyo reassures her. “There are also a lot of other jobs you can focus on, like take care of the paper work and help with organizing events without necessarily being in the spotlight.”

“And your organizational skills are incredible,” Dahyun praises Mina, which causes her to blush and duck her head.

“Yeah, it’s thanks to Mina that your sheet music isn’t scattered all over random places inside your house anymore,” Chaeyoung remarks with a snort. Dahyun stomps on her foot in retaliation. “Ow! Hey!”

“But there’s no pressure if you don’t feel like it,” Jihyo adds, ignoring Chaeyoung’s pained whines.

Mina pushes her tongue against her cheek, thinks that being on the student council _will_ look good on her college application and improve her chances of getting into the university she has her sights on. Sure, it might be overkill for her to already think that far ahead when she’s only in her first year of high school, but she’d rather have a solid plan to follow through with than be lost and uncertain about the future.

Eventually, she nods and, with a smile, says, “Okay, I’ll do it.”

Lighting up in excitement, Jihyo happily blurts out, “You will? Yes! Thank you, Mina!”

Ever supportive and unfailing in showing this, Dahyun flashes her a huge grin and a thumbs-up that has Mina feeling warm and fuzzy inside. It’s as though no matter what she chooses to do, Dahyun would always have her back and give her the push that she needs to step out of her comfort zone.

For that, Mina would forever be grateful to Dahyun.

\-----------

They all sign up for their respective clubs later that afternoon, and both she and Jihyo are welcomed with friendly smiles as the officers and staff introduce themselves. Afterwards, they’re given a brief overview of what being part of the student council entails and some of the duties and responsibilities that come along with it.

Throughout the short meeting, Jihyo listens with an eagerness that Mina doesn’t think she’s ever seen in another person.

Well, with one exception, maybe.

Then, after a few reminders given to them that Mina makes sure to jot down, they’re dismissed by the members. Once they’ve left the office, Mina pulls out her phone to check if Dahyun had left any messages and finds one.

 **_Dahyunnie:_ ** _Hey, Mina! Jeongyeon and I are in the field rn, just in case you and Jihyo finish ahead of us. But I’ll text you again when we’re done :D_

 **_Minari:_ ** _Hi, Dahyunnie! We’re on our way to the field now. See you there! ^_^_

“Was that Dahyun?” Jihyo asks as Mina puts her phone back inside her bag.

Mina nods and answers, “Yeah, I texted her that we’re going to the field to meet them.”

“So, you two always walk home together?”

“Yup, and with Chaeyoung, too.”

Just as Mina finishes talking, Chaeyoung appears from one of the rooms which must be where the art club is, face breaking into a grin when she spots Jihyo and Mina approaching her. “Hey! You two also done?”

“Yeah, we’re just heading down to the field to meet Jeongyeon and Dahyun,” Jihyo says.

“Oh yeah, Dahyun texted me, too.”

They round the corner leading to the stairs, chatting about their respective clubs as they make their way out the back doors and into the field where they find a group of students sitting around together in a circle on the grass. In front of them stands who Mina assumes to be is the coach, given the whistle hanging around his neck and the tracksuit that he wears.

Her eyes then zero in on Dahyun, leaning back on her hands and paying close attention to what the coach is saying. It takes all of Mina’s willpower not to smile fondly at the sight; at Dahyun who somehow still manages to stand out despite the many people surrounding her.

Maybe she’ll always just stand out to Mina no matter where they are, especially with how Dahyun’s eyes always seem to have that happy glint to them; with how Dahyun’s eyes shine so brightly like the sun that reminds Mina that there will always be good moments to outweigh the bad.

Beside Dahyun sits Jeongyeon, who gives Dahyun a subtle nudge to the side before nodding over to where Mina, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung are standing. This time, Mina can’t help the giddy feeling that swells within her chest when Dahyun’s eyes fall onto her first.

Dahyun flashes her a lopsided grin in greeting, which Mina returns with a gummy one of her own along with a small wave of the hand. Jeongyeon, on the other hand, smirks at Jihyo and earns an annoyed roll of the eyes in response.

The smile that twitches at Jihyo’s lips when Jeongyeon diverts her attention back to the coach gives her away, though.

After a few more minutes, the coach claps his hands together to signal their dismissal, and Dahyun and Jeongyeon scramble to their feet along with their fellow club members. They bid their goodbyes to the rest before trudging towards Mina, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung; Mina laughing as she runs her fingers through Dahyun’s hair to fix it.

With an expectant expression, Jeongyeon takes a step forward and bends down slightly in front of Jihyo.

“What?” Jihyo asks Jeongyeon with narrowed eyes.

“Aren’t you gonna fix my hair?” Jeongyeon coaxes.

Jihyo stares at Jeongyeon like she heard the most bizarre thing ever. “Why would I do that? You’re a grown up high-schooler, Jeong, you can fix your own hair,” she refuses with a scoff.

“Aw c’mon? Pretty please? Mina’s even doing it for Dahyun,” Jeongyeon pleads.

“Well, too bad for you but I’m not Mina,” Jihyo deadpans.

“Fine, be that way.” Jeongyeon shrugs and ruffles a hand through her hair instead. The way Jihyo bites her lip and quickly averts her gaze doesn’t go missed by Mina, though she chooses not to make a comment on it.

She chooses to focus her attention back on Dahyun instead, who reaches out to take Mina’s hand and asks, “You ready to go home?”

Mina doesn’t think she’ll ever get tired of hearing Dahyun ask that. Doesn’t think she’ll ever stop wanting her hand in Dahyun’s whenever she answers yes.

“Yes, I’m ready,” Mina answers softly.

Then, with a voice full of warmth, Dahyun says, “Let’s go home.”

It’s so simple, those three words, yet they never lost their magic in the countless number of days Mina has heard them from Dahyun.

She doesn’t think they ever will, no matter how much more time passes them by.

Doesn’t think she’ll ever stop wanting to come home with Dahyun.

\-----------

Halfway through on their way home, Jihyo and Jeongyeon go their separate way from Mina, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung; Jeongyeon casually slinging her arm around Jihyo’s shoulder as they walk away. Once they’ve left, Chaeyoung and Dahyun start to engage in a clumsy rap battle with awkward pauses in between bars that has Mina stifling her laughter.

After a few more minutes of this, they start arguing which one of them did the better job; and, seeing that they’re not going anywhere with this, they turn to Mina in perfect sync.

“Mina, which one of us is the better rapper?” Dahyun says, beating Chaeyoung to it.

Chaeyoung huffs and gives Dahyun a light punch on the arm. “Hey, Dahyun! No fair! You know Mina is going to say it’s you!”

The outburst causes Mina to flush a deep scarlet and avert her gaze – because as much as she wants to deny it, Chaeyoung may or may not have a point. Though to be fair, Dahyun _does_ seem to have a good flow, even though Mina doesn’t know much about rap music. Chaeyoung, too, of course. They could both be amazing rappers if they practiced enough.

“Well…” Mina starts tentatively, which earns her eager and expectant looks from both Dahyun and Chaeyoung. “I think you’re both good.”

Upon hearing that, Dahyun whips her head towards Chaeyoung and exclaims, “See! Mina can be fair!”

“I don’t know why you’re more upset about that than the fact that you didn’t win, but go off, I guess,” Chaeyoung deadpans with a shrug.

“You didn’t win either, you know!”

“Yeah, but I will next time. Just you wait and see, Kim Dahyun, because I’m going to kick your ass!”

And with that confident declaration, Chaeyoung skips off in the opposite direction, leaving Dahyun to yell after her, “Not before I kick yours first, Son Chaeyoung!”

Chaeyoung laughs as she disappears from Mina and Dahyun’s line of sight, and Mina tells Dahyun, “It’s true, though. I do think you and Chaeyoung are good at rapping.”

“I can definitely be better than that, though,” Dahyun says, stroking at her chin thoughtfully. Then, with a smirk, she adds, “I’m going to practice really hard, Chaeyoung won’t even _see_ what’s coming to her.”

“Well, as long as you don’t let it distract you from practicing the piano,” Mina reminds her.

“It won’t,” Dahyun reassures her. “Heck, maybe I can even rap along while I’m playing!”

“Okay, you and I both know that’s not what I meant…”

Dahyun merely shrugs and says, “Yeah, but you have to admit it’s a pretty good idea.”

“Until you start rapping in your sleep,” Mina deadpans.

“Wh- I don’t even talk in my sleep?” Dahyun furrows her eyebrows in confusion. “Do I?”

Then, noticing the look of mischief in Mina’s eye, Dahyun lets out a small whine and puffs out her cheeks, trying to look angry but only comes out as cute. Mina laughs at Dahyun’s disgruntled expression; Dahyun turns to storm away but stops a few steps in to rush back to Mina’s side.

Dahyun mutters something under her breath that Mina can’t quite hear and grabs her hand. Mina would have teased Dahyun for not being able to leave her behind, but she’s reeling herself from the fact that Dahyun really won’t.

So, she just lets Dahyun drag her away, her gaze fixed on Dahyun’s back and heart thumping louder and faster with every step that they take.

Mina can’t- she doesn’t understand why her heart is beating so loudly and differently when she’s with Dahyun; doesn’t know what it’s supposed to mean or what the twinge in her chest is whenever Dahyun flashes her that beautiful, sunny-bright smile that Mina has come to love over the course of the years.

It’s confusing, these unnamed feelings and emotions Mina struggles to decipher; but she can’t bring herself to be scared or anxious when Dahyun makes her feel safe all the time.

Not when Dahyun has never left her side, not even once.

Not when Dahyun is always reaching out for her hand.

\-----------

Dahyun scrapes her right knee during one of their practice games, and Mina all but jumps from where she’s sitting on the stands to get to the field, worry knotting her eyebrows together when she sees Dahyun wincing in pain. When Dahyun plops down on one of the seats, Mina immediately drops to her knees to inspect the wound. Her frown deepens when she realizes it’s a little deeper than she expected, but not anything too bad that they would have to go the school clinic.

“Sorry about this,” Dahyun says apologetically, prompting Mina to look up at her.

Mina places her hand on Dahyun’s uninjured knee and shakes her head, then flashes her a soft, reassuring smile. “Don’t be; this comes with the territory, after all.”

Dahyun nods and smiles back, and Mina pats her leg for good measure before opening the first-aid kit. She cleans the wound and the surrounding area first before dabbing on some disinfectant and plastering on a bandage, the small hisses of pain that Dahyun lets out briefly giving Mina a sense of déjà vu.

“There,” Mina says in a gentle voice as she rises to her feet. “All good.”

“Thanks, Mina,” Dahyun says with a small grin. Then, jokingly, she adds, “I really don’t know what I would do without you.”

At that, Mina laughs and fondly shakes her head, then teases, “It’s a good thing I’m here, then.”

“Yeah…” Dahyun rubs at the back of her neck, grin still in place. “It really is.”

Jeongyeon then calls for Dahyun to go back, cutting their conversation short. Mina squeezes Dahyun’s shoulder before playfully shooing her away, which earns her a bright laugh in response.

And as she watches Dahyun exchange high-fives with Jeongyeon and the rest of the softball club, Mina finds herself thinking the same thing:

She’s really glad that Dahyun is there for her, too.

\-----------

The following weeks pass by in a blur and find them both busy – Mina with her student council duties and Dahyun practicing almost every day for an upcoming tournament that their club has. Sometimes, the student council finishes before the softball club; other times, it’s the opposite. What stays the same, however, are Mina and Jihyo waiting for Dahyun and Jeongyeon or the other way around. Then, there are times where Chaeyoung would hang back and wait with them, and times where she would go home ahead of them so she can work on a new painting or sketch for the art club.

Right now, it’s only her and Jihyo left in the office to lock up, and just as Mina picks up her bag, the door slides open, revealing Jeongyeon and Dahyun who both have huge grins on their faces. Like always, Dahyun’s gaze immediately falls on Mina, and Mina clutches at the strap of her bag with one hand while she waves at Dahyun in greeting with the other, her gummy smile making its appearance when Dahyun steps away from Jeongyeon to shuffle over to her.

Chaeyoung follows inside soon after, who strikes up conversation with Jeongyeon and Jihyo after greeting all of them hello. Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung have been getting along well, Mina notices, and Jihyo has dryly pointed out on occasion that they already aren’t funny by themselves, but somehow are even more unfunny when they’re together.

Throw Dahyun into the mix, however, and chaos and craziness are sure to ensue.

On their way to a milkshake place just a short distance away from their school, Jeongyeon and Dahyun fake-throw invisible softballs at each other, with Dahyun making exaggerated movements and stretching of her limbs as she ‘catches’ the nonexistent ball in her hands. And when she does, Jeongyeon feigns an expression of awe and claps her hands, with Chaeyoung eventually deciding to join in on the fun.

Mina giggles at their antics while Jihyo reminds them to keep it down because they might disturb the residents living nearby, and this goes on until they reach the store. They settle into one of the booths by the window, with Mina and Dahyun sitting next to each other on one end and Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung cramped together on the opposite side. Even though there’s more room on their end, Mina and Dahyun sit with their shoulders touching, neither one of them minding this since they’re more than comfortable being close to each other as much as they possibly can.

Dahyun, unsurprisingly, orders a chocolate milkshake, while Mina chooses a mint chocolate one. Chaeyoung goes for strawberry; Jihyo with caramel fudge; and Jeongyeon with peanut butter.

With both of them knowing full well what’s going to happen once their orders arrive, Mina and Jihyo also ask for glasses of warm water just to be prepared. Sure enough, as soon as their milkshakes are right in front of them, Dahyun grins at Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon and goes, “Hey, wanna see who can finish first?”

Jihyo and Mina then share a look; Jihyo pursing her lips and shaking her head in exasperation but otherwise doesn’t say a word.

Jeongyeon smirks. “You’re on!”

“Then, on the count of three?” Chaeyoung asks; Dahyun and Jeongyeon nod in agreement. “Alright, one, two, three!”

The three of them immediately start sipping on their drinks, and Mina winces at how fast the contents are being drained while Jihyo grimaces and rubs at her temple. Halfway through, Chaeyoung is claimed as the first victim, going shock still with Jeongyeon and Dahyun almost choking on their drinks trying to contain their laughter.

Shooting them both a look of disapproval, Jihyo gently pats Chaeyoung on the back and encourages her to take a sip of water. Chaeyoung gratefully does so, the color slowly returning to her face the more water that she drinks.

“Honestly,” Jihyo mutters under her breath when Dahyun follows not long after, “the three of you are huge idiots.”

Mina rubs small circles against Dahyun’s lower back while pressing the glass of water against her lips, and Dahyun chokes out a strained ‘thank you’ after she recovers.

“Yeah, but at least I’m the idiot who won,” Jeongyeon says smugly once she’s finished her drink. “Totally worth it, if you ask me.”

“Next time,” Dahyun huffs, narrowing her eyes at Jeongyeon. “I’ll get you next time.”

“Hey, don’t count me out just yet,” Chaeyoung interjects.

Jeongyeon merely laughs and ruffles Chaeyoung’s hair. “Sure thing, bud.”

“They just never learn,” Jihyo remarks with a click of the tongue.

Mina chuckles in agreement, then holds back a smile when she catches Dahyun not-so-subtly staring at her own milkshake. Nudging their shoulders together, Mina slides her glass towards Dahyun’s direction while Dahyun pushes her own towards Mina. They both hum out of happiness as they drink, laughing as Jihyo and Jeongyeon bicker over which one of their flavors tastes better.

Chaeyoung, on the other hand, doodles something on her tissue; and after snapping out of their debate, Jihyo and Jeongyeon crane their necks so they can get a better look at what Chaeyoung is drawing. A faint blush creeps across her cheeks at the attention, and she whines something about feeling pressured and then snorting when Dahyun suggests that she should draw a penguin with eagle wings.

They’re loud, the five of them together, but her and Dahyun’s hands manage to find their way to each other underneath the table, fingers intertwining easily without them even having to think about it.

\-----------

Mina admits that being part of the student council is helping her learn to interact with people more, making her feel less shy whenever Dahyun’s friends on the softball team greet her in the hallways. They’re all nice people, Mina thinks, and so are everyone in the student council. It helps that Jihyo is there, too, and Mina feels like she can speak her mind more freely and offer suggestions during their meetings because of Jihyo’s influence.

When she tells Dahyun this one day while they’re taking a break from studying inside Mina’s bedroom, Dahyun turns on her side from where they’re lying down on the carpet so she can look at Mina and proudly says, “I knew you could do it!”

Mina blushes and lowers her gaze, her heart beating faster the moment she realizes just how close they are to each other – the distance so minimal that Mina could move her leg the tiniest bit and her knee would brush against Dahyun’s. Something about that thought thrills Mina, though she can’t really understand why. All she knows is she likes being this close to Dahyun; knows she wants them to be closer still.

Dahyun blows a loose strand of hair away from her face, then grins at Mina, causing her cheeks to warm even further. “So, you like being in the student council?”

Sucking in her lower lip, Mina nods and answers, “Yeah. Everyone is really nice and helpful…”

“Is there anyone as scary as Jihyo?”

This causes Mina to laugh. “No,” she says, then, eyes twinkling with mischief, she teases, “should I tell Jihyo you said that she’s scary?”

Dahyun visibly pales at that, and, shaking her head vigorously, she pleads, “N-no, please don’t tell her!”

The look of pure terror on Dahyun’s face causes Mina to burst into a fit of giggles, her shoulders shaking and her knee brushing against Dahyun’s leg without her being aware of it. Puffing out her cheeks, Dahyun pokes at Mina’s stomach, which only makes her laugh harder. She laughs loud enough that it echoes off the walls of her bedroom, not realizing that there’s a touch of softness in Dahyun’s gaze in that very moment.

Once she’s sobered down and caught up to her breathing, Mina lets out a sigh and bumps her forehead against Dahyun’s shoulder.

“And hey, Dahyun starts, breaking the silence, eyes shining with mirth as Mina lifts her head to look into them, “feel free to call me if you guys need help carrying and moving around heavy stuff!”

“Duly noted,” Mina says, wanting to indulge Dahyun. “You’ll be the first one we ask, Dahyunnie.”

At the lopsided grin Dahyun flashes at her in response, Mina chuckles and pinches the tip of her nose.

\-----------

In support of Dahyun and the softball team for one of their official games, Mina wears a plain pink shirt with Dahyun’s jersey number plastered over the back in electric tape. She wanted to surprise Dahyun with it, which is why she chose to go with Jihyo and Chaeyoung instead of Dahyun. Admiring her handiwork, Jihyo whistles in approval and pats Mina on the shoulder.

“Man, Dahyun’s going to be insufferable when she sees that,” Chaeyoung remarks.

“If you think she’s bad, then try Jeongyeon,” Jihyo says, clicking her tongue. “She’s already got enough of an ego as it is; I don’t know want to know what’s going to happen if someone does the same thing for her as Mina did for Dahyun.”

For some reason, Chaeyoung blushes and hurriedly averts her gaze after Jihyo finishes speaking, which instantly arouses Jihyo’s suspicion. Then, quick on the uptake as always, Jihyo’s eyes dart towards the small backpack Chaeyoung is clutching tightly onto – almost as though it would spell her doom if Jihyo ever found out what was inside.

“Chaeyoung…?” Mina asks, and though she does so softly, Chaeyoung winces and hugs the backpack more tightly.

Jihyo, however, isn’t as forgiving. “What’s in that backpack?” she asks with narrowed eyes.

Eyes wide, Chaeyoung shakes her head vigorously and splutters, “I- it’s- n-noth-“

Arching an eyebrow, Jihyo unceremoniously yanks the backpack from Chaeyoung’s deathly grip and zips it open, ignoring Chaeyoung’s weak cries of protest as she rummages around inside. Her eyebrows shoot all the way up to her forehead when she pulls out a pink shirt her size with Jeongyeon’s jersey number taped across the back.

Mina would have laughed at the coincidence, if not for Chaeyoung’s obvious fright and Jihyo’s thirst for more answers.

“J-Jeongyeon gave it to me!” Chaeyoung stammers, fidgeting nervously with the hem of her shirt. Sweat breaks out of her forehead when Jihyo continues to stare at her, unamused. She then quickly adds, “S-she asked me to bring it with me and give it to you before their game.”

Once Chaeyoung is done explaining, Jihyo scoffs and holds out the shirt in front of her. “I _was_ wondering why she wasn’t bugging me about what I would bring with me to the game, and I guess now I know why.” She then glances back at Chaeyoung, seemingly still unsatisfied. “But knowing Jeongyeon, there’s probably more, isn’t there?”

Somewhat reassured that Jihyo isn’t going to snap even further, Chaeyoung carefully takes back her backpack and grabs what appears to be two rolled-up banners. Sheepish, she waves one around and says, “She said I could use this one.”

Jihyo heaves out a sigh and rubs at her forehead. “Of course she did,” she says, exasperated.

Turning to Mina, Chaeyoung offers her the other one and says, “Jeongyeon said this one is for you. It’s a banner for Dahyun.”

Cheeks turning warm, Mina takes the banner and thanks Chaeyoung. “I’ll have to thank her later when we see them.” Then, to Jihyo, she asks, “Are you going to wear your shirt, Jihyo?”

Jihyo sighs again and mutters, “She’ll be more annoying if I don’t, so I’ll just wear it.” She looks at Chaeyoung and Mina and adds, “This will be quick, and then we can leave right after I change.”

Mina and Chaeyoung nod and plop down on the couch while they wait. Curious as to what the banner’s design looks like, Mina undoes the string tying it together and carefully unrolls it. The banner itself is colored red, and printed in the middle is Dahyun’s name and their team name in brightly-colored ink that blends well with the background.

A smile tugs at the corners of her lips as she runs her index finger over the characters that spell out Dahyun’s name, and Mina thinks back on the time where she wrote them out for the first time as practice all those years ago. She had been clumsy back then, getting the order of the strokes wrong but Dahyun never laughed at her or made fun of her for it. And when she’d finally gotten it right, Dahyun beamed and pulled out a few of her notebooks then asked Mina to write her name on them.

In exchange, Mina gave Dahyun her own notebooks and asked her to do the same. From that point on, it had become something they did at the start of a new school year - Mina would write Dahyun’s name for her on her notebooks, and Dahyun would also do the same thing for her.

“Hey, Mina?”

Chaeyoung’s voice snaps Mina out of her reverie, and, curious, she turns to look at Chaeyoung. “Yes, Chaeng?”

Chaeyoung hesitates for a moment, then sucks on her lower lip and carefully says, “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while now. It’s uh, it’s about Dahyun.”

Confused and unsure as to where this is coming from, Mina furrows her eyebrows at Chaeyoung. “What about Dahyun?”

“I was just wondering…” Chaeyoung trails off, dropping her gaze to her lap before glancing at Mina again. “Do you li-“

Chaeyoung doesn’t get the chance to finish, however, as Jihyo suddenly cuts in, “Okay, I’m ready to go!”

Mina does a little jerk of surprise, and though she wants to press Chaeyoung for what she wanted to ask, she ends up not being able to because Jihyo is now rushing for the three of them to leave. But with the way Chaeyoung hesitated and seemed to be choosing her words, Mina could tell that it wasn’t something trivial.

Still, no matter how much Mina tosses it around inside her head, she can’t figure out why and how Dahyun would be involved.

\-----------

Her worries are forgotten in an instant, however, when they get to their school’s field and spot Dahyun and Jeongyeon doing warm-up exercises with the rest of the softball team. They sit at the front row of the bleachers, and the moment Dahyun looks over to where they are, Mina breaks into a huge, gummy grin as she turns around to show Dahyun the back of her shirt. Jihyo then does the same for Jeongyeon, albeit very reluctantly.

The broad, lopsided grin Dahyun flashes at her causes Mina to burst into a fit of giddy giggles; her heart swelling at least twice its original size when Dahyun winks and points cutesy finger guns at her. Mina then rolls out the banner and mouths out ‘good luck’, and Dahyun responds by forming a giant heart on top of her head with her arms.

Jeongyeon, on the other hand, shoots Jihyo a smug smirk, to which Jihyo scoffs and rolls her eyes.

When the coach whistles for them to gather around, Dahyun waves at Mina before jogging over to the bench. Mina sits between Chaeyoung and Jihyo, feeling both excited and a little nervous about the game.

After a while, both teams take their positions on the field; Mina fiddling with the edges of her banner as she watches the game unfold with rapt attention. For the most part, though, her eyes keep straying towards Dahyun, noting every subtle shift in her expression; from the slight grimace when her teammate misses hitting the ball; to the deep furrow of her eyebrows as she observes the opposing team; and then the triumphant sparkle in her eyes when they score.

Out of the three of them, Jihyo is the loudest while they’re cheering, while Mina and Chaeyoung clap vigorously and wave their banners around. Every now and then, Dahyun’s gaze lands on Mina, her hair and forehead sticky with sweat; though she keeps smiling nonetheless.

Mina can tell that Dahyun is having the time of her life like she always does, and it’s more than enough to make her happy, too.

\-----------

To everyone’s glee, their team wins, and Mina, Chaeyoung, and Jihyo yell and jump around in celebration while hugging each other. After they break apart, they hear Dahyun and Jeongyeon calling out their names from the field, and the three of them hurriedly scramble down the bleachers to meet the two. At the sight of Dahyun’s disheveled appearance and sweat-matted hair, Mina laughs, her steps becoming lighter and quicker as she runs towards Dahyun.

It might be because of the rush of the victory, or it might be because of how contagious Dahyun’s upbeat energy is – Mina isn’t entirely sure - but she propels herself towards Dahyun and engulfs her in a hug, causing Dahyun to let out a small squeak of surprise.

“Congratulations, Dahyunnie!” Mina exclaims happily as she pulls back and squeezes Dahyun’s shoulders.

Face lighting up like the sun, Dahyun removes her cap and places it on Mina’s head and says, “Thank you, Minari! I really liked the banner and your shirt.”

Mina blushes and pulls the cap lower at the mention of the shirt. “I wanted to surprise you with it, so that’s why I came with Jihyo and Chaeyoung instead.”

“Well, it’s definitely the best surprise I ever got!”

This causes Mina’s blush to deepen further and her heart to skip several beats, her lips forming a shy smile as she tugs on Dahyun’s wrist.

“Hey, so you did wear the shirt!” Jeongyeon exclaims, slinging an arm around Jihyo.

Jihyo clicks her tongue and pushes Jeongyeon’s arm away, mumbling, “Only because you’d get on my case if I didn’t.” Jeongyeon opens her mouth to speak, but quickly shuts it again when Jihyo shoots her a glare. “But really, Jeong? Asking someone else to give it for you?”

Unbothered by this, Jeongyeon simply shrugs and grins at Jihyo. “Pink looks good on you, though.”

“Whatever. Just apologize to Chaeyoung for bothering her.”

“Right, okay, gotcha mom,” Jeongyeon says casually, which earns her a smack on the arm that she ignores as she smiles sheepishly at Chaeyoung. “I bet she scared you, huh? Sorry about that, and thanks again for the help.”

“Ah, no, it’s okay,” Chaeyoung answers, waving her hands around. “I’m glad I was able to help out.”

Jeongyeon then smiles at Mina and nods towards the banner in her hand. “So, how’d you like it?”

“Ah- it was made really well and I liked it a lot. Thank you, Jeongyeon,” Mina answers, returning the smile.

“Hey, no worries!” Jeongyeon assures her with a grin, then adds, “I just figured you might want something else to support my softball bud over here,” while ruffling Dahyun’s hair.

Dahyun groans in displeasure and shoves Jeongyeon’s hand away, then wriggles her fingers through her hair that now looks like a bird’s nest in an attempt to fix it. _Cute,_ Mina thinks, except she might have said it out loud as Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung all turn to look at her simultaneously.

Realizing her slip-up, Mina blushes furiously, feeling the heat spread throughout her entire face and neck. Thankfully, Dahyun doesn’t seem to have heard it, since she’s still too busy trying to make her hair look at least presentable. The other three don’t make a comment, either, as though having decided between themselves to spare Mina from any further embarrassment.

Before an awkward air could settle around them, though, Jeongyeon rushes in with, “So, do you guys want to grab something to eat after we shower and change?”

“Sure! How about that fast food chain with the fried chicken?” Chaeyoung suggests.

“Yeah! Their fried chicken tastes great!” Dahyun agrees enthusiastically.

“Alright, then Jeongyeon’s going to pay for the first serving,” Jihyo announces with a grin.

“Wha-“ Jeongyeon snaps her head towards Jihyo, her mouth hanging open. “What the he-“

Before she can finish, however, Jihyo whistles and starts to push Jeongyeon and Dahyun in the direction of the locker room. “So, you two better take that shower now, alright?”

Relief courses through Mina at the change in topic, and she flashes Jihyo and Chaeyoung a grateful smile. In response, Chaeyoung shoots her a thumbs up while Jihyo throws in a wink.

\-----------

Despite her initial protests, Jeongyeon eventually agrees to pay for the first round of fried chicken, and everyone thanks her with bright grins on their faces as they reach out to take their chosen pieces from the tray. Upon taking the first bite, Mina is unable to contain the noise that spills from the back of her throat at the perfect crunch of the skin and the juicy flavor of the meat itself.

“Delicious, right?” Dahyun says, right before she bites into her drumstick. A deep groan rumbles in her chest as she swallows, causing Mina to giggle.

“Yeah, it’s delicious,” Mina agrees, then starts to take careful bites with Jihyo and Jeongyeon watching in awe. Flustered by the attention, Mina asks, “Is- is there something on my face?”

“Huh?” Jeongyeon asks, confused. “No, you’re fine.”

“We’re just amazed at how you always eat so neatly,” Jihyo says by way of explanation. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you make a mess while you’re eating, Mina.”

“O-oh.” Mina blushes and shyly tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Really?”

“Yeah, it’s true,” Dahyun supplies with a nod. “That’s also what I noticed since we were kids.” She then chuckles and nudges their shoulders together, which somehow makes Mina’s pulse race faster. And yet, she can’t avoid looking into Dahyun’s eyes and at the way they form into happy half-crescents. “I always thought it made you look like a princess.”

Mina is grateful that she isn’t chewing on anything because she’s sure she would have choked on it after hearing what Dahyun had just said, which would have been _really_ embarrassing. She’s been so used to Dahyun calling her cute, pretty, and beautiful that it never occurred to Mina that Dahyun would come up with something else – and most definitely not a princess, of all things.

Then, to make matters worse, Dahyun remains unfazed while Mina’s face has now turned a bright red. Chaeyoung snorts and points her fork at Dahyun. “And what, you’re Mina’s knight?”

Puffing out her chest, Dahyun confidently answers, “The one and only!”

Jeongyeon almost chokes on her water and struggles to keep a straight face, only barely managing to mask her snort with a cough at the last second. Jihyo, on the other hand, simply stares at Dahyun incredulously, then at Mina, then back at Dahyun.

Mina buries her face in her hands, though it’s more to hide the giddy smile that she fails at holding back than any feelings of secondhand embarrassment for Dahyun’s childish declaration. Still, to her amusement, Dahyun brandishes the drumstick she’s holding like a sword, but hurriedly puts it back down when Jihyo shoots her a disapproving look.

“No playing with your food, Dubs,” Chaeyoung says smugly, which earns her a kick on the leg from Dahyun. “Ow!”

Dahyun laughs at Chaeyoung’s pained expresson, and Jihyo shakes her head in mock exasperation. In retaliation, Chaeyoung steals the drumstick away from an unsuspecting Dahyun’s grasp, the look of pure shock that colors her face causing Mina to giggle.

“Why must I be surrounded by children?” Jihyo mourns, burying her face into her hands.

Mina just laughs in agreement as she watches Dahyun lean across the table to try to take back her stolen drumstick from Chaeyoung.

\-----------

Twilight has already begun to set in by the time they leave the diner, the sky painted with a pretty array of a light pink and vibrant orange that color the dark blue horizon that settles overhead. Ever so often, Mina would lift her head to admire the breathtaking blend of colors and the way they dull and fade over time to give way for the moon and the stars to shine in the night sky.

And when Mina turns to glance at Dahyun, she sees the stars in her eyes, twinkling brighter and clearer than the countless ones that glimmer above them from a faraway distance. But the ones that are home in Dahyun’s eyes are always within reach – whether it be during the day or at night.

Mina feels that strange twist in her chest again at the thought, though it isn’t unpleasant by any means; just… more pronounced this time, for some reason Mina still can’t quite pinpoint.

She’s broken out of her reverie, however, by Jihyo’s piercing shriek and Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung, and Dahyun’s boisterous laughter. It turns out that an insect had randomly landed on Jihyo, and Mina carefully shies away before she falls victim to it, too. Dahyun, being the one to have mercy, sweeps the insect off of Jihyo’s arm without so much as batting an eye, and Jihyo thanks her over and over again while engulfing her in a hug.

Mina, on the other hand, breathes out a sigh of relief, thankful that it wasn’t her that it happened to.

“Oh, man, you should’ve seen the look on your face,” Jeongyeon sighs as she wipes away a nonexistent tear from her eye. “It was like you got a jump scare at a horror house.”

Face burning red, Jihyo huffs and smacks Jeongyeon’s arm. “S-shut up! You wouldn’t like it either if a bug landed on you!”

“Well, yeah, but I don’t think I would scream my head off the way you did,” Jeongyeon answers with a shrug.

“Oh, really?” Jihyo arches an eyebrow. “What about that time when-“

It’s lightning fast, the way Jeongyeon immediately jumps into action by clamping her hand over Jihyo’s mouth to cut her off. “Don’t you dare finish that, Jihyo!” she exclaims, her expression one of pure panic that Mina doesn’t think she’s ever seen before.

But it’s too late. Chaeyoung already looks interested in whatever Jihyo had been planning to say to expose Jeongyeon, and so she helps Jihyo break free off Jeongyeon’s grasp. Then, throwing Jeongyeon a triumphant smirk, Jihyo pulls Chaeyoung and they both start running, leaving Jeongyeon to chase after them while shouting in a panicked frenzy.

Grinning broadly, Dahyun grabs Mina’s hand and chases after them, too, the sound of their laughter and the racing of Mina’s heart echoing in the night sky as she tightens her grip on Dahyun.

\-----------

It feels like Mina just blinked once and suddenly, all she can hear are the girls at their school talking about chocolates and asking each other who they plan on giving them out to. A few are even planning confessions, and the first person that jumps into Mina’s head when she hears this as she makes her way to her locker is Dahyun. The thought makes Mina feel nervous for some reason, but she pushes it down as quickly as it comes, and she tells herself it isn’t anything like that.

Dahyun is her best friend – _of course_ Mina would feel strongly about her than normal when they’ve known each other and been practically inseparable for so long.

When Mina arrives at her locker, Jihyo is already there, ever the early bird as usual. Mina smiles at her in greeting, and as she opens her locker, Jihyo asks, “Hey, Mina, do you want to make chocolates together this Saturday?” Surprised, Mina stops from rummaging around for her books and turns to glance at Jihyo. “What?” Jihyo says, giving Mina a funny look. “Why do you look so surprised?”

“Nothing,” Mina says hurriedly, but the twitch of her lips gives her away.

Jihyo narrows her eyes suspiciously. “You were totally thinking that I don’t look like the type to do that kind of stuff, weren’t you?”

“I-“ at the puff of Jihyo’s cheeks, Mina decides to backtrack. If there’s anything she learned from being friends with Jihyo, it’s that it’s impossible to lie to her and not get caught. “Maybe,” she admits.

“Well, sorry to disappoint you then,” Jihyo deadpans, causing Mina to giggle. “But seriously, would you like to? Jeongyeon is planning on asking Dahyun and Chaeyoung to hang out with her that day, so I think it’s the perfect time to do it.”

Mina doesn’t even need to think about it. She _had_ been planning on making chocolates for Valentine’s, and truth be told, she’s excited to see how Dahyun would react when Mina gives her homemade ones that she made herself for the first time. Plus, she’s sure it would be more fun and less nerve-wracking if she had someone to make them with her.

“Sure,” Mina says with a nod, much to Jihyo’s delight. “I was thinking of making some myself, too, but it’s going to be my first time and I’m afraid that I might mess up,” she confesses with a soft chuckle and a shake of the head.

“No worries, I got you! My mom already taught me how to before, so you’re more than good,” Jihyo assures Mina with a grin and a small nudge of the shoulder, Mina nudging back with a gummy smile.

“Then, is there anything I should bring?” Mina asks.

“Nah, we’ll take care of everything so just bring yourself,” Jihyo answers, waving off Mina’s protests.

Knowing full well that Jihyo won’t budge, Mina decides to give up trying to change her mind and instead promises that she’ll be there.

\-----------

By the time Mina arrives at Jihyo’s house on Saturday, everything that they need is already laid out and arranged neatly on the kitchen table; from the mold, to the whisk, the weighing scale, and the bags of chocolate – everything is right there, much to Mina’s amazement. Really, leave it to Jihyo to go all out with the preparations.

Jihyo offers Mina an apron, which she puts on before washing her hands in the sink.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Jihyo says, sheepish, as she gestures towards the table filled with the utensils and ingredients. “I wanted to prepare everything beforehand so we don’t have a hard time finding the things that we need.”

“Oh, no, I think it’s great that you did, actually,” Mina reassures Jihyo with a smile. She then glances at the heap of cocoa butter on the table and asks, “Uhm, how much are you planning on making, by the way?”

“Oh.” Jihyo blinks, rubbing at the back of her neck. “I was thinking of giving some to everyone in the student council and the softball team, and uh…” her voice then drops to a low, incoherent mumble, a faint blush adorning her cheeks.

Even though Mina didn’t catch the last part, she already knows who Jihyo is referring to; and she’s unable to help the teasing tone in her voice as she says, “And ‘some’ for Jeongyeon, too, right?”

The blush on Jihyo’s face worsens, and, with an embarrassed huff and a glare, she swats at Mina’s arm. “Please, as if you’re not going to give ‘some’ to Dahyun yourself,” she retorts, which all but sets Mina’s face on fire. “Besides-“ she smirks at Mina, nodding towards the gift bag that Mina had left on the kitchen counter, “-don’t think I don’t know that the huge tin inside that bag is only for Dahyun.”

Mina opens her mouth, trying to think of an argument to defend her case, but all she can come up with is a weak, “Dahyun loves chocolate.”

Jihyo shoots Mina a look that says that she missed the point, while Mina frowns at her in confusion. First, there was Chaeyoung, and now, there’s Jihyo, too. The two of them sound like they’re trying to bring Mina to some sort of realization or revelation, but she could never quite figure out what they’re trying to get at for the life of her.

One thing is for sure, though – and it’s that Dahyun plays an active role in whatever it is they want her to understand.

When Mina continues to stare at Jihyo with an uncomprehending expression, Jihyo decides to give up altogether and lets out a sigh. “You know what?” she pushes the bag of cocoa butter into Mina’s hands. “Let’s just focus on making those chocolates.”

Despite her confusion, Mina nods anyway and follows Jihyo’s lead, thinking the conversation is already over and that Jihyo has left it at that. Without even glancing at the recipe that often, Jihyo gives Mina clear and precise instructions at a pace that doesn’t feel overwhelming at all. It’s clear as day that Jihyo is no stranger to the kitchen, if the minimal amount of trouble they encounter is anything to go by; and if Mina had any doubts before as to how reliable Jihyo is, then they’ve definitely vanished now.

They decide to split making batches between the softball club and the student council; with Mina assigned to the former and Jihyo with the latter. Then, they make their individual batches for Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Jeongyeon – Mina wisely choosing not to make a comment about the particularly large container Jihyo also has herself.

For her gift to Dahyun, Mina makes an assortment ranging from plain chocolates to ones filled with nuts, dried fruits, and a mix of both. She puts great care into preparing each one, and by the time they place the molds inside the fridge, Mina feels a strong sense of accomplishment with her work.

While they wait for the chocolates to harden, they work together in cleaning up the kitchen and putting the utensils in their proper places after they’ve been washed and dried. There’s still some time left by the time they’ve finished, so they spend it hanging around and talking; the conversation eventually drifting to Jeongyeon at one point.

Jihyo suddenly looks nervous, fidgeting with her fingers and barely able to meet Mina’s eyes. It’s a strange sight and a surprise to witness, especially given how calm and collected Jihyo normally is – well, at least until Jeongyeon is involved.

Mina thinks they might be alike in that regard; except that instead of Jeongyeon, it’s Dahyun who makes the ground underneath her feet feel like it’s both shaking and staying steady at the same time.

“So,” Jihyo gulps, then pauses for a beat, and Mina smiles at her in encouragement. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Jihyo nods and pushes forward, “I like Jeongyeon. Well-“ she hesitates, pushing her tongue against the inside of her cheek, “-I’ve liked her for a long time now.”

When Mina gives her a knowing look instead of one of surprise, Jihyo blushes to the tips of her ears and lets out a huff. “I kind of figured, to be honest,” she teases Jihyo, which might partly be to get back at her for earlier.

This earns her a good, long stare from Jihyo. “Wait, let me get this straight, you already knew that I like Jeongyeon but you don’t-“ she stops abruptly and heaves out a sigh, shaking her head in exasperation. Instead of continuing, however, she clicks her tongue and shifts the conversation back on track. “Anyway, sure, she could be annoying and a right pain sometimes-“ Jihyo rants, rolling her eyes, but it soon melts into a fond smile as she continues, “-but she can be really sweet and thoughtful when she wants to be, and she always knows how to lighten the mood with her dumb jokes. And I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, and I think I’m ready to tell her how I feel.”

Every word Jihyo says is touched with a kind of fondness Mina knows is reserved only for Jeongyeon; and a part of her wonders if she sounds the same when she talks about Dahyun. For a moment, Mina sees herself in Jihyo – sees the same, gentle spark of affection in her own eyes and the ghost of a laugh on her lips as she recalls the countless times Dahyun has cracked a random pun or told a silly story.

And the more that Mina listens to Jihyo, the more she feels as though she had just been splashed by a bucket of cold water, hit by a ton of bricks, and had a train barreling towards her at full speed – all at the same time. Over the years, what she always thought of and dismissed as mere friendly feelings towards Dahyun have somehow grown and deepened into something much more; something stronger and more tangible which Mina could no longer deny and can finally put a name to.

She likes Dahyun. She’s _liked_ Dahyun all this time, but she’d been too blind to see it.

Now, however, Mina’s eyes have been opened.

The feeling of being on cloud nine when Dahyun smiles at her, bright and radiant like the sun; the pressing, almost overwhelming need to reach out whenever Dahyun is less than a hair’s breadth away from her or simply when they share the same space; the giddiness that fills her from the inside out each time Dahyun says her name; the comfort and surge of affection that comes with how perfectly her fingers fit the spaces in between Dahyun’s every time they hold hands…

_Oh._

“So, do you think it’s a good idea?” Jihyo asks, snapping Mina out of her daze. The nervousness Jihyo had previously felt becomes apparent again, and, deciding to push her inner turmoil aside for later, Mina reaches out to squeeze Jihyo’s shoulder as a sign of her support.

If what Mina has seen of the way Jeongyeon looks out for Jihyo even with their constant teasing and playful bickering, then she’s sure that nothing could go wrong if either one of them were to confess.

“Of course,” Mina says, nodding. “I don’t think there’s anything to worry about; you’ve been best friends for a long time, after all.”

Relief courses through Jihyo then, and, patting Mina’s hand, she murmurs, “Thank you, Mina. That means a lot to me.”

“What are friends for, right?” Mina answers with a light chuckle. Then, she pauses, contemplating whether to tell Jihyo about her earlier, albeit unexpected realization or to keep it to herself for now. But she knows that if she hides it, it would only gnaw at herself when she gets home.

Sure, she could twist her wording and make it sound like a hypothetical situation, but given how sharp Jihyo is, Mina would get caught right off the bat. Plus, Mina isn’t sure if she could do the same thing with Dahyun without slipping up and giving herself away – and that’s the one situation she would like to avoid at all costs.

She must have stayed silent for longer than she intended, however, as Jihyo draws her eyebrows together and glances at Mina with a concerned expression. “Mina? Is something wrong?” she asks gently, placing a hand on Mina’s arm.

Mina opens her mouth, then clamps it back shut again, unsure as to how she’s going to break the news to Jihyo. It’s as though she’s in unfamiliar territory right now, her head and her heart a jumbled mess of overpowering feelings and emotions she had never experienced in her life until Dahyun entered the picture.

Thankfully, Jihyo doesn’t push her; instead waits patiently until Mina can gather her thoughts and put them into words. It takes a few more moments for Mina to do so, lower lip sucked between her teeth as she tries her best to look Jihyo in the eye.

“I like Dahyun,” Mina croaks out, her voice hoarse and a little scratchy around the edges; the weight of the words spilling out of her lips for the first time nearly causing her knees to buckle underneath it. She then swallows; thinks of the warmth of Dahyun’s fingertips grazing the inside of her wrist as she repeats in a quiet whisper, “Jihyo, I like Dahyun…”

In an instant, Jihyo rushes to her side; Mina expecting a smug remark or something along the lines of ‘it sure took you long enough’, but Jihyo does neither of these things. Instead, she places a comforting hand on Mina’s back and softly asks, “Are you going to tell her, too?”

“I don’t- I don’t know,” Mina admits, biting down on her lower lip. A huge part of her wishes she could be brave like Jihyo; wishes she had the resolution to say that she would do the same thing as Jihyo and confess to Dahyun.

But she’s not.

Unlike Jihyo, she isn’t as headstrong or self-aware of her own feelings – especially since it took so long before she managed to connect the dots and reach this point.

“Well,” Jihyo starts, rubbing Mina’s shoulder comfortingly. Then, she smiles at Mina and pats her back. “You don’t have to tell her yet if you aren’t ready, but don’t shut the door on it yet, okay?”

With her heart in her throat, Mina can only muster a nod and a small, “Thank you,” in response.

“Hey, what are friends for, right?” Jihyo echoes Mina’s earlier words, which coaxes out a grateful smile. “If you want to talk more about it, then I’m here. You don’t need to rush or pressure yourself, and I’m sure you’ll know when it’s the right time to tell Dahyun.”

Flashing Jihyo a grateful smile, Mina allows herself to be drawn into a hug; feeling as though the years she’d spent being puzzled while going around in circles had been lifted off her shoulders then, giving her a sense of perfect clarity that she had been longing to find for so long.

“So then, let’s check those chocolates and make sure yours turned out perfectly so that Dahyun falls for you too,” Jihyo teases with a wink as she pulls back, which both lightens the mood and causes Mina to blush to the tips of her ears.

More than anything, Mina hopes that Jihyo is right.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we are for part two! I'm sorry it took me so long to finish this, and I just want to thank all of you for the support you've shown me and for reading this :D

_I still reach for your hand because I need it, and your kiss is still the spark that lights a fire. You’re still laughing with me, and we’re still making memories; I’m still a fool for you and there’s a million reasons why._

_~Still Fallin’ by Hunter Hayes_

* * *

To say that Mina is nervous when Valentine’s Day arrives is an understatement, to say the least. Ever since last Saturday, she’d been thinking of how she would give the chocolates she made to Dahyun; which, thankfully, _did_ turn out great – both in appearance and taste. With Jihyo’s encouragement, Mina isn’t as worried that Dahyun wouldn’t love them (or her, which Jihyo added jokingly).

She made sure to use a larger backpack to hide the container meant for Dahyun, while the ones divided and placed inside small plastic bags for the softball club are inside the gift bag. While she sits waiting in the living room for Dahyun to pick her up like always, Mina anxiously twiddles with her thumbs, her eyes flickering towards the wall clock once every few seconds.

Part of her wonders if she should wait until later in the day to give it to Dahyun, but if she does that, then Dahyun might think that Mina doesn’t have anything for her. Plus, that would mean Mina would have to pull Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung aside so she could give them theirs; which is practically impossible since they’re in the same class and spend their breaks together.

The other part, on the other hand, wants for her to be the first person to give Dahyun the chocolates; because Mina is more than sure that there are others in school who would have gifts for her, too. Besides, it wouldn’t be strange if Mina were to be the first, right? Dahyun _is_ her best friend, after all, so it shouldn’t come across as weird.

Mina gnaws on her lower lip, tossing and turning the possibilities around in her head; then, with a groan of frustration, she drops her head onto her hands, knowing that she wouldn’t be overthinking this if she still wasn’t aware of her more-than-friendly feelings for Dahyun.

Before she can reach a decision, however, the doorbell starts to ring, startling Mina out of her thoughts. In her haste to get to the door, she almost trips over her own feet, a bundle of nerves as she swings the door open only to be greeted by a… stuffed toy eagle being eagerly thrust towards her face.

While she’s standing there processing this, Dahyun’s head peeks out from the side, the sunny grin on her face made brighter the sun shining right behind her as she happily greets, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Minari!”

Cheeks turning red, Mina greets back, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Dahyunnie…”

Grin broadening, Dahyun flaps the stuffed eagle’s wings around and says, “I got this for you, by the way. I saw him when I went to the mall with Jeong and Chaeng and thought it might be nice if Pingu had company.”

Mina giggles at the excited sparkle in Dahyun’s eyes as she takes the toy and hugs it close to her chest, nuzzling her nose into the soft, fluffy material. A giddy squeal almost gives her away then, but she manages to push it down in favor of a wide, gummy smile that she flashes at Dahyun. “Thank you, Dahyunnie!”

With a faint blush, Dahyun scratches at her cheek and does a little shrug of the shoulder. “You’re welcome!”

“I uhm, I have something for you, too, by the way,” Mina says as she zips open her backpack.

If it were even possible, Dahyun lights up even further when Mina offers her the large, heart-shaped container of chocolates, the excited sparkle exploding beneath her eyes almost blinding Mina as Dahyun opens the lid and gasps in awe at what she finds inside.

“I made them with Jihyo,” Mina explains, face becoming redder when Dahyun pops a piece into her mouth and makes a noise of delight at the back of her throat.

“It’s delicious!” Dahyun immediately reaches for another piece, only to freeze halfway before closing the lid. Mina looks at her curiously, and Dahyun lets out a sheepish laugh and says, “Yeah, I want to save the rest for later. But I think these are the best chocolates I ever had.”

“R-really?” Mina asks, visibly flustered by the high praise.

“Yeah!” Dahyun nods vigorously. “Thank you for making these for me, Minari. It’s the first time someone gave me homemade chocolates and I’m really happy that they came from you,” she adds with a slight chuckle, rubbing at the back of her neck.

At this point, Mina is pretty sure that her entire face is burning, and she’s suddenly second-guessing whether it was a good idea to leave a handwritten letter for Dahyun at the bottom. Well, there’s no use doubting herself now, because there’s no way she would be able to take the letter back without arousing Dahyun’s suspicion.

Well, it isn’t like Mina wrote out a confession or anything - it’s mostly just her thanking Dahyun and pouring out the thoughts and feelings she feels hasn’t been able to properly express over the years; which, hopefully, doesn’t come across as her being too cheesy or overly sentimental.

“Oh.” Mina blinks, shyly tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as her gaze flits to the ground. “I was actually nervous because it’s my first time doing it, so I’m glad you like them, Dahyunnie…” she admits with a small chuckle.

“Well,” Dahyun starts, reaching out to squeeze her hand; causing Mina to suck in a breath, “I would’ve liked it either way, and there’s always next time if things don’t work out the first time, right?”

The soft words of reassurance, along with Dahyun’s grounding grasp on her hand, brings a smile to Mina’s face. She’s always loved how Dahyun sees her for who she is; never expecting her to be perfect or get things right on the first few tries – instead builds her up and gives her a boost whenever she might need it; or simply be a bottomless pool of corny jokes and witty remarks whenever Mina wants a good laugh.

But as Mina tightens her hold on Dahyun, she silently wishes that things would never not work out for the two of them – regardless of the way she might feel about Dahyun.

\-----------

Jihyo confesses to Jeongyeon by the end of the school day; Mina, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung fervently praying that things turn out well as they wait with bated breath inside the student council office. It feels like the two have been gone for an eternity, when, in truth, only a few minutes have passed since Jihyo nervously dragged a very confused Jeongyeon out of the room and into the now empty hallway.

“Think we should crack the door open just a _tiny_ bit so we can hear them?” Chaeyoung suggests for what must be the hundredth time.

“Are you crazy?!” Dahyun hisses. “Do you want Jihyo to kill us?”

Chaeyoung opens her mouth, then shuts it again. “Right, yeah. Terrible idea. Sorry.”

After what feels like another eternity, the doors slide open; and Mina, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung’s heads snap towards Jihyo and Jeongyeon in perfect sync. There’s a deep blush on both Jihyo and Jeongyeon’s cheeks, though it isn’t awkward by any means. Between them, their fingers are intertwined, which is everything Mina, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung need to put the pieces together and yell their congratulations at the same time.

“Jeez, guys,” Jihyo huffs, holding onto Jeongyeon a little tighter. “Calm down, it’s not like we got married!”

Jeongyeon gasps and stares at Jihyo with wide eyes. “Whoa, Hyo, moving a little too fast there, aren’t we?”

“Oh, shut up!” Jihyo swats at Jeongyeon’s arm, or at least tries to, because Jeongyeon catches her hand midair and inches closer with a smug smirk.

Mina laughs when Jihyo turns red as a tomato, but the tables are turned on her when Jihyo gives her a not-so-light push in Dahyun’s direction, causing their shoulders to collide with Mina blushing to the tips of her ears and spluttering apologies while Dahyun shrugs it off with a laugh.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Mina feels her heart leap to her throat when Dahyun slings an arm around her shoulder and pulls Mina flush against her side – a gesture so casual Mina wonders if Dahyun has ever once felt fazed around her.

Still, Mina leans into Dahyun, ignoring the way Jihyo wriggles her eyebrows at her.

\-----------

“So, do you and Dahyun have anything planned for White Day?” Jihyo asks Mina out of the blue while they’re rearranging the student council’s files.

The folder Mina is holding almost slips out of her grasp, but she manages to prevent it from falling to the floor by pinching her fingers at the last second. “I- no, we don’t have anything planned yet,” she says as she hands out the folder to Jihyo.

“Hmm,” Jihyo hums as she takes it from Mina and files it inside the steel drawer. “Are you waiting for Dahyun to ask?”

“No,” Mina lies, which earns her an unimpressed arch of the eyebrow. She sighs. Well, it was worth the try. “Okay, fine, maybe I am,” she admits.

Jihyo regards her for a moment, then says, “She’ll ask you for sure, so you don’t have to worry.”

Mina frowns. Was she that obvious about it? Or is it because Jihyo is just that observant that nothing could slip past her?

“How do you know that?” Mina asks, eyebrows furrowed.

“Girl, I think we’ve established by now that Dahyun would do literally _anything_ for you,” Jihyo emphasizes with a pointed look. Mina flushes and shuffles her feet against the floor. “Do you really think she wouldn’t do anything in return for the chocolates you gave her?”

“I-“ Mina falters, realizing that Jihyo does have a point. When it comes right down to it, Dahyun has been nothing short of selfless and attentive – even down to the smallest of things like bringing an extra hand warmer for Mina to use in case the weather takes on a colder turn than what was expected. Or how Dahyun never seems to mind staying in with her when she doesn’t feel like leaving the house.

“She’ll ask you,” Jihyo repeats, a knowing smile on her face. “And you’re free to tease me about Jeongyeon as much as you want if I’m wrong.”

\-----------

With how Jihyo sounded so sure when she said that Dahyun _will_ ask her to hang out for White Day, Mina has this sudden inkling that maybe Jihyo knew something she didn’t. No wonder she was so assured, too, because Dahyun did ask her by the time they got home then; so, now, they’re at the local arcade trying out the different games one after the other.

Dahyun is laser-focused at pointing and shooting at the zombies through the screen, her lips pursing into a tight grimace when she misses hitting one. It’s adorable, the furrow of her eyebrows and the small puff of her cheeks as she pulls the trigger – so much so that Mina finds herself caught in a daze while she watches on in silence.

It isn’t until the game ends and Dahyun slots the plastic gun back in its proper place that Mina startles out of her thoughts, quick to avert her gaze before Dahyun could catch her staring.

“How was that?” Dahyun asks, eyes sparkling as though she just won the lottery. “Not bad, right?”

Mina glances at Dahyun’s score and grins. She can admit that Dahyun has gotten a lot better at video games, but what makes it even better is that she does enjoy them and isn’t doing it just to try and please her.

“Yeah,” Mina answers and bumps their shoulders together. “You’ve gotten good at this, Dahyunnie.”

“Alright!” Dahyun raises a fist in triumph, causing Mina to giggle. Then, jaw set in determination, she points at Mina and adds, “But just you wait, because I’ll beat your high score next time.”

“Oh?” Mina arches an eyebrow. “You’re challenging me?”

Dahyun stands up straight and squares her shoulders. “I can’t beat the heck out of your high score if I don’t.”

They both burst into laughter after that, Mina sighing and shaking her head as she mumbles, “Dork.”

“Okay, then how about we try that one over there this time?” Dahyun says, pointing to the basketball game at the corner. “I’ll bet you ice cream you can’t beat me on that one.”

Mina hums and licks her lips. “Favorite flavors?”

“Favorite flavors,” Dahyun affirms. Then, she smirks. “So, are we on?”

“Oh, it’s definitely on.” Mina clicks her tongue. “But don’t think that you’ll have it easy just because you’re athletic, Kim Dahyun.”

“Oof! Using my full name, huh?” Dahyun says with a laugh. “Don’t worry, I don’t plan on taking it easy on you either, Myoui Mina.”

“Good. Because that would make beating you much more satisfying for me.”

“Well, I could say the same myself.”

And with that, Mina takes Dahyun’s hand without thinking and drags her to the game in question. Dahyun then bows down and backs away, motioning for Mina to go ahead. With a snort and a playful roll of the eyes, Mina inserts the coins and grabs one of the balls that slide down the hatch. She hears Dahyun suppress a cough when she misses her first shot, but it only makes Mina all the more determined to win it.

The next shots go in for the most part, leaving Mina with three-hundred points by the time the timer hits zero. It doesn’t sound bad, especially given that she doesn’t have the best aim.

“Alright, my turn,” Dahyun says as she cracks her knuckles and rolls her shoulders. “Better have your wallet ready, Minari.”

“We’ll see about that,” Mina scoffs.

Instead of cracking another smart remark, Dahyun winks at Mina and takes a ball, shooting it with perfect ease that has Mina gaping. After recovering from her shock, Mina dismisses it as nothing more than a fluke – that is, until Dahyun’s next shot goes in, and the next, and the next…

By the end of Dahyun’s turn, Mina is pretty sure she can count the number of times Dahyun missed only using both her hands; and as much as she hates to admit it, Dahyun won against her by a whopping two-hundred points.

“Okay, how are you _so_ good at that?” Mina asks in disbelief.

Dahyun shrugs and says, “Remember when Chaeng, Jeong, and I hung out? Jeong taught us a few tricks, but I’m still nowhere near as good or fast as she is.”

Mina sighs, and, admitting her defeat, starts to pull out her wallet but is stopped by Dahyun grabbing her wrist. “Dahyun?”

“Whoa there, I’m the one who’s treating you today, remember?” Dahyun says with a laugh.

“Well, yeah, but-“

“Nope, no buts,” Dahyun interjects, cutting Mina off. “I’m buying you your favorite ice cream.”

Mina’s gaze drops to where Dahyun’s fingertips linger on the inside of her wrist, her heart fluttering at the touch. If Dahyun notices how her pulse picks up in reaction to this, she doesn’t show it; instead tilts her head to the side and grins in that cute way that puffs out her cheeks.

Ever since she realized the depths of her feelings for Dahyun, it seems like every touch that passes between them could set her skin on fire - no matter how little or fleeting they may be. And with all those times, Mina can only hope Dahyun wouldn’t catch on to the twitching of her fingers whenever their hands interlock.

“Okay,” Mina agrees, knowing full well she wouldn’t be able to change Dahyun’s mind – even if she’s the one supposed to treat Dahyun to ice cream since she lost their deal.

“Great!” Dahyun exclaims as she leads Mina out of the arcade and into the convenience store across the street.

There, Mina chooses the melon-flavored ice cream while Dahyun, of course, goes for the chocolate one. Dahyun then pays for their ice cream, which they eat outside of the store. After they’ve finished eating, they throw their wrappers into the garbage can, and Dahyun turns to Mina and asks, “Is there anything else you want to do or someplace you want to go to?”

Mina hums and thinks it over for a moment. It’s still early in the afternoon, so there’s enough time for them to stop by one last place before they go back home; but Mina has a feeling that Dahyun would insist on paying for what they’re going to decide to do, which she wants to avoid and doesn’t want to take advantage of.

“No,” she answers, shaking her head. “I’m good now, but thank you, Dahyunnie.”

“You sure? We can still stop by somewhere on our way home.”

“Mmm.” Mina smiles and squeezes Dahyun’s hand. “I’m sure; you already made this day perfect, Dahyun…”

The moment the words slip out of her mouth, Mina flushes out of embarrassment and finds herself wishing she could take them back. Really, she should have thought that over more and tried going for something more subtle and less weird-sounding.

“Yeah?” Dahyun breathes out a chuckle as she scratches at the back of her head. “Then I guess it’s mission accomplished,” she adds with a wink that has Mina giggling.

If only Dahyun knew that every little thing she does makes Mina’s heart beat in a funny way.

\-----------

When Mina removes her jacket as she enters her bedroom, she hears something rustling against her right pocket that she’s sure wasn’t there when she left earlier. She doesn’t remember slipping anything inside either, and it’s out of curiosity that she reaches around inside and feels a rectangular shape. Judging by its size and somewhat papery feel, Mina assumes it might be an envelope, which now makes her both confused and curious.

Furrowing her eyebrows together, she pulls out the envelope, her breath catching in her throat when she flips it over and finds her name scrawled across the back in Dahyun’s pretty handwriting. Dahyun must have slipped it inside her pocket sometime earlier without her being aware of it; most likely when she was absorbed playing one of the games while Dahyun had been watching.

With a smile, Mina sits on the edge of her bed and opens the flap with a careful push of her fingers, then takes out the piece of paper inside and unfolds it – revealing a handwritten letter Mina thinks might be a response to the one she gave Dahyun for Valentine’s Day.

_Dear Mina,_

_Hey! So, I read the letter you hid in the tin of chocolates you gave me. That was a pretty smart move, by the way! I was so surprised when I took out the false bottom and found your envelope. I don’t know if I should have answered you earlier, but I figured now’s the best time to give mine to you. I just wanted to say sorry if I made you feel like I left you hanging for a whole month, and I hope this makes up for it._

_I probably don’t say it enough myself, but I always think I must be the luckiest person alive to have you as my best friend. I mean, who would’ve thought that out of all the houses in this neighborhood, your family would move into the one right next to ours? That’s something I still think about until now, and every time I do, I never stop being amazed by it._

_And uh, I don’t think I ever told you this before, but I’m glad I didn’t scare you off when I rushed out of our house to greet you back then. Or, actually, I’m glad I never did until now. So, if I ever start to get too much, don’t hesitate to tell me, alright?_

_You know, Chaeyoung tells me that I would be helpless without you around. Heck, even Jihyo and Jeongyeon say the same thing, too. Maybe they’re right, because you’ve been watching over and taking care of me more times than I can count._

_And Minari? I hope I can continue doing the same for you._

_Always by your side,_

_Kim Dahyun_

Always by your side.

Mina’s heart swells and overflows with emotion as she reads the line over and over again, the glossy ink of what she’s sure is from Dahyun’s favorite pen holding more meaning all of a sudden as the words stare back at her.

Then, when she couldn’t contain herself any longer, Mina throws herself face first onto her bed and squeals, swinging her legs in the air as she reads Dahyun’s letter one more time.

* * *

Their senior year comes with a lot of stress and worries about their existing schoolwork, exams, and impending college applications. On top of that, both Mina and Dahyun have made it their goal to get into one of the top universities which excels in music and performance arts. So, when they aren’t studying or working on extracurriculars that would help boost their chances, they’re doubling their efforts for their rehearsals – Dahyun with her piano, and Mina with her ballet.

With her latest performance already over, Mina is given room to breathe and relax; which she chooses to spend by checking in on Dahyun at her house one Saturday afternoon. It comes as no surprise when the first thing she hears is the piano being played when Dahyun’s mom opens the door – though judging by how the notes sound quieter than usual, Mina guesses Dahyun might have been at it for hours.

“Oh, Mina, I’m glad you’re here,” Dahyun’s mom says, relief evident in her voice and expression the moment she sees Mina. “Dahyun hasn’t stopped practicing since she woke up this morning, and I don’t think she’ll listen to anyone except you.”

Worrying her lower lip, Mina peers over the shoulder of Dahyun’s mom and finds Dahyun hunched over the piano in the living room, concern coursing through her when Dahyun misses a series of notes in consecution.

“I’m sorry if we’re troubling you, and on your free day, too,” Dahyun’s mom apologizes, but Mina just smiles in reassurance and shakes her head.

“It’s okay, auntie. I also came because I wanted to see how Dahyun is doing…”

“Thank you, Mina. Then, I’ll leave you to it,” Dahyun’s mom says as she steps aside to let Mina in.

Dahyun’s mom then shuffles towards the kitchen, and Mina pads over to the living room after replacing her shoes with the slippers that have been reserved for her personal use. Dahyun doesn’t seem to have noticed her arrival, as she’s still bent over the piano and mumbling musical terms that Mina can’t quite understand.

“Dahyunnie?” Mina tries, voice gentle so as not to startle Dahyun.

No response.

“Dahyun-ah,” Mina says, louder this time, but still to no avail. Dahyun is completely absorbed in her own little world, the tension in her shoulders and the deep frown on her face causing Mina to sigh.

Well, there’s no other choice if she wants to snap Dahyun out of it.

With a small huff and a disapproving shake of the head, Mina trudges towards Dahyun and smacks her arm. This finally works, as Dahyun jumps a few inches from where she sits in her shock.

“Ow! Hey, what’s the big-“ Dahyun starts to complain, but is quick to shut her mouth again when she meets Mina’s narrowed eyes. She gulps. “M-Minari, I didn’t see you there,” she says with a nervous laugh.

“Hmm.” Mina clicks her tongue and reaches towards the piano to close the lid over the keys. For a split second, Dahyun looks as though she’s about to protest, but the small glare Mina sends her way is more than enough to stop her dead in her tracks.

As soft as she might often be when it involves Dahyun, Mina grew to learn at one point that being too mellow won’t cut it once Dahyun starts showing signs of being stubborn.

When Mina doesn’t say anything else, Dahyun swallows and tugs on her collar, her left hand resting on her lap at an awkward angle. Mina softens at the sight, because while she doesn’t like the thought of Dahyun overexerting herself, she can’t say she doesn’t understand why Dahyun would push herself to such lengths.

They only have one shot at this, after all – and everything hinges on that one performance that would either get them accepted or rejected. Of course, that isn’t to say that they don’t have a backup plan or a second choice of a university; but they’ve both come too far to let the fear of failure hold them back.

“Rest, Dahyun-ah,” Mina murmurs, her tone firm yet gentle at the same time as she rubs Dahyun’s arm, feeling the tension melt away underneath her touch.

“Yeah, alright…” Dahyun sighs and rubs at her eyes. “Sorry about that.”

Mina hums and presses down on Dahyun’s forearm, unfazed by the intense warmth that burns in her chest when Dahyun leans towards her as she’s already grown used to the feeling. Years of harboring feelings for your best friend would do that to you, apparently, though Mina no longer gets the jitters as much as she did before whenever Dahyun so much as smiles at her in that charming, fall-deeper-for-me way.

Except, Mina never could quite manage to resist the latter part.

Then again, she doesn’t think she was ever able to in the first place.

“I’m just worried, I guess,” Dahyun admits after a while, clenching her fist against her leg as she releases a heavy sigh. “I mean, everything’s riding on this one piece and, well…” she trails off with a shrug.

“Yeah…” Mina reaches for Dahyun’s hand and frowns when Dahyun winces in reaction. She runs her thumbs over Dahyun’s knuckles before massaging her fingers, making sure to loosen up the tightened joints along the way. “I know what you mean.”

Dahyun yawns and rests her head against Mina’s shoulder, her eyelids beginning to droop as she snuggles closer and releases a steady exhale. Mina could blame the afternoon sunlight spilling through the living room’s windows for the sudden burst of warmth that spreads throughout her skin and tingles at the tips of her fingers, but she knows it would be a complete lie if she did.

If anything, it’s how Mina is sure she’s fallen off the deep end – only for her feelings to deepen even further over the course of the days that continue to sweep past them. What once might have been considered a puppy love is no more; the jolt of her skin, the heat in her cheeks, and the jump in her heartbeat now having flourished into a familiar melody that her heart thrums and sings along to with sure, steady beats in a way only Dahyun can bring out.

When Mina cranes her neck a little to the side, she feels her cheek start to press against the top of Dahyun’s head; a smile curving at her lips as Dahyun links their arms and mumbles, “Thanks for coming, by the way…”

Mina hums and swings her legs, leaning closer towards Dahyun until their heads are resting against each other. “You would have kept going until your hands fell off if I didn’t,” she points out.

Dahyun laughs at that. “Yeah, you’re right.” After a few beats of silence, she then asks, “Hey, you’ll have dinner with us tonight, right?”

“That depends,” Mina says.

“Depends on what?”

“If you take a break for the rest of the day and continue practicing tomorrow, then I’ll stay.”

Pulling back, Dahyun juts out her lower lip in a cute pout and says, “That’s not fair!”

Mina, however, holds her ground even as Dahyun gives her those wide, puppy dog eyes that would have anyone falling victim if they were to see it. Well, anyone except for Mina in this instance, at least.

This goes on for a few more moments – Dahyun trying to get Mina to crack and take back what she said and Mina resisting Dahyun’s wide-eyed, pleading gaze the entire time. She almost succumbs to the pressure, however, when Dahyun inches her face closer; and Mina tries her utmost hardest not to stare at the pretty curl of Dahyun’s lashes, or worse yet, drown in the last golden rays of the sun reflected in her eyes that has Mina drawing in a breath.

So, in order to distract herself and to prove a point at the same time, Mina takes Dahyun’s hand and squeezes her fingers; pressing her lips into a thin line at the small, pained gasp Dahyun makes.

“Fine,” Dahyun relents, Mina fighting off the urge to breathe out a sigh of relief as Dahyun pulls back. “I’ll stop for today.”

“Good,” Mina says, thankful that her voice doesn’t crack. “Because I would have dragged you away if you insisted on continuing.”

“Well, that sounds a lot better than you slamming the lid down on my fingers,” Dahyun jokes.

Of course, leave it to Dahyun to crack a joke – and yet another one that Mina couldn’t help but laugh at.

\-----------

With the number of days left until their interview and auditions dwindling down at an incredibly fast rate, Mina decides to take Jihyo up on her offer to relax and unwind by knitting gloves both for themselves and Dahyun, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung in preparation for winter. It’s the perfect time, too, because the last time she hung out in Dahyun’s room, Mina noticed that the gloves hanging off her door were beginning to look worn-out and a little threadbare from the years of use they’ve been through.

Inside Jihyo’s living room, they sit side-by-side in relative silence, tongues peeking out as they focus on the movement of their needles. They’ve already finished the ones for themselves and Chaeyoung; Jihyo’s colored in apricot, Chaeyoung’s in red, and then mint green for herself.

Now, Jihyo is working on Jeongyeon’s while Mina works on the one for Dahyun, intent on perfecting everything right down to the last detail. After a while, Jihyo’s phone pings with a message alert, and she pauses from knitting to read the text.

“It’s Jeongyeon,” Jihyo says as she glances at Mina. “She says she and Dahyun are coming over.”

“Wait. Dahyun, too?” Mina asks, surprised.

“Yeah.” Jihyo’s phone pings again, a smirk forming on her face as she looks at Mina after reading the latest text. “Oh, would you look at that? Looks like it’s because Dahyun wants to pick you up so you don’t have to go home alone later.”

After constantly finding herself on the receiving end of Jihyo’s smug, teasing remarks about her and Dahyun for the past two years, Mina feels she should be used to it by now; but instead, heat rises throughout her entire face and turns her ears pink yet again.

When Mina doesn’t respond, Jihyo adds, “Dahyun sure takes being whipped on a whole new level when it comes to you, doesn’t she?” she laughs.

“Stop it,” Mina groans and buries her face into her hands. “I get it already, Jihyo.”

Jihyo bursts into laughter and pats Mina’s back. “Sorry, sorry,” she giggles, not sounding the least bit apologetic at all. “I can’t help myself sometimes.”

“You don’t say,” Mina deadpans.

“I bet once we get to college and the two of you room together, you’ll act like a married couple waiting for each other to get home,” Jihyo snickers.

Mina almost falls from the couch then; too flustered by Jihyo’s remark to be able to muster a sharp glare. Instead, all she can come up with are unfinished, incoherent splutters of protest and a stuttered, “W-what on earth makes you think that!?” in the end.

Jihyo gives Mina a look. “Have you _seen_ the way you two act around each other?” she emphasizes in a disbelieving tone. “Mina, you and Dahyun literally walk to and go home from school together pretty much every day.” Mina burns bright red at that while Jihyo plows on, “And again, Dahyun is on her way to pick you up even though she doesn’t have to, and you aren’t even questioning it. Not to mention that you have this crazy sixth sense thing when it comes to whatever could be going on with either of you.”

“You say that like you and Jeongyeon aren’t the same,” Mina scoffs.

“My point exactly,” Jihyo says, pointing her knitting needles at Mina. “Look, I don’t know when you plan on telling Dahyun how you feel about her, but it’s clear neither of you are going anywhere anytime soon. Or ever.”

Mina glances at the near-finished gloves lying on her lap, her thoughts drifting back to the times Dahyun would still hold her hand even if she was already wearing gloves (‘just to be extra sure they don’t get cold,’ Dahyun would tell her with a smile), no matter how clumsy it might feel with the layers of wool between them.

Sometimes, she wonders if Dahyun just likes holding her hand as much as she does.

“I hope not,” Mina murmurs as she picks up the gloves and continues from where she left off.

It may seem like a small thing, her knitting these gloves if only to shield and keep warm the hands that sparked the beginning of a story Mina holds dearest to her heart and hopes would never reach its final page; but to Mina who wants to protect those same hands that have been nothing but kind to her and everyone else around them, they hold a piece of her soul with the burning faith that there would forever be a new page to turn to.

Then, as if in understanding, Jihyo says nothing more and instead squeezes Mina’s shoulder before turning back to her own work.

\-----------

Dahyun and Jeongyeon arrive half an hour later, just as Mina and Jihyo have finished knitting the gloves meant for them. At the doorstep, Jihyo welcomes Jeongyeon with a kiss while Dahyun waves at Mina, a crooked grin breaking across her face when Mina giggles and presses her palms against her cold-flushed cheeks in greeting.

“Hey there,” Dahyun says, grin melting away into a content smile as she nuzzles into Mina’s touch.

“Hey back.” Mina pulls her hands away, a small laugh bubbling at the back of her throat as Dahyun’s face falls in disappointment at the sudden loss. So, to make up for it, she pulls off Dahyun’s gloves to twine their fingers together; frowning when she notices that Dahyun’s hands feel colder than they should be.

She’s about to ask why that is, until she takes a closer look at Dahyun’s gloves and sees that they’ve grown far too thin for her own liking. It’s a good thing she finished knitting a new pair, because Mina would hate for Dahyun to go through that again on their way home later on.

“Oy, penguin and eagle,” Jeongyeon calls out, startling Dahyun and Mina out of their moment. They both blush at the nicknames; Dahyun coughing into her fist to hide how flustered she is while Mina pointedly ignores Jeongyeon and Jihyo’s smug smirks. “Jihyo and I are going to make hot chocolate; have some first before you go home.”

“Right, thanks,” Dahyun says as she and Mina follow them into the kitchen.

It doesn’t take long for the hot chocolate to finish, which Mina suspects might be because she and Dahyun are here; otherwise, she’s sure Jeongyeon and Jihyo would play around and take forever if they were alone. Dahyun whispers the same thing to her which causes Mina to giggle, but Jihyo and Jeongyeon are too engrossed talking with their heads close together to notice this.

“Say,” Dahyun mumbles, nudging Mina’s shoulder with her own. “How mad do you think they would be if I push their heads together?”

Mina stifles a laugh and whispers, “Very mad, I’m pretty sure.”

“Enough to get a permanent ban from Jihyo’s house?”

“If she doesn’t bury you in her backyard first.”

Dahyun scrunches her nose and grimaces. “Yeah, never mind. There’s still a lot of stuff I want to do, so no thanks.”

“Good decision,” Mina agrees. She finishes drinking the rest of her hot chocolate and clears her throat to catch Jihyo and Jeongyeon’s attention, who look like they’re _this_ close to kissing with the way they can’t keep their eyes off of each other; and Mina would rather be out of their hair soon than stick around and find out if they really _will_ kiss.

“Oh, hey, you guys leaving now?” Jeongyeon asks, blinking.

“Yeah,” Dahyun says, sneaking a glance at Mina before she continues, “wouldn’t want to get in the way if you guys want to kiss, you know?”

Mina almost chokes on air as she controls herself from bursting into laughter at the priceless expressions painted on Jihyo and Jeongyeon’s faces; Dahyun acting unbothered as she stands up and pushes her chair back in its proper place with Mina following suit.

“By the way-“ Dahyun looks back and forth between Jeongyeon and Jihyo, “-are you going to see us out the door or should Mina and I just go on our own?”

“N-no, I’ll come with you,” Jihyo stammers, a rare sight for someone like her. Mina files it away for future reference and potential ammunition for when Jihyo teases her.

On their way out, she grabs her belongings from the living room and thanks Jihyo before stepping outside with Dahyun. Then, as Dahyun is about to put on her gloves, Mina grabs her wrist to stop her and says, “Wait don’t wear those.”

“Huh? What?” Dahyun asks, tilting her head in confusion.

Instead of answering, Mina reaches inside her bag to take out the two pairs she knitted, offering the white ones to Dahyun with a smile. “I made these for you.”

“I- whoa!” Dahyun exclaims, eyes going wide in awe as she takes the gloves and puts them on. “These are so comfortable and warm…” she grins at Mina, looking as though Mina had just given her everything she could ask for. “Thank you, Minari.”

Heaven knows Mina would if it meant Dahyun would look at her this way forever.

\-----------

On the day of her and Dahyun’s scheduled audition, they walk past the campus gates while holding on tight onto each other’s hands, their nerves and the racing of their heart keeping them alert as they search for their assigned building. All around them, various people bustle about the spacious grounds, ranging from students lazing about in the grass; to the busier ones with their noses buried in either their textbooks or what appears to be sheet music; and others like her and Dahyun who stare wide-eyed at the different buildings scattered round about.

If she were less nervous and less preoccupied with going through her routine inside her head, then maybe Mina would have better appreciated the courtyard’s beautiful landscape with its well-kept grass and colorful flower patches; but as it stands right now, she’s unable to focus on anything else save for Dahyun’s presence and the soothing scent of her perfume that reminds Mina of tulips blossoming on a fine spring day.

“I think this is it,” Dahyun says as they stand in front of a wide, modern-looking building that must be at least six stories tall. If Mina remembers correctly, the auditorium where she’s supposed to go to is on the second floor, while the music room Dahyun is assigned to is on the third.

Mina swallows and squeezes Dahyun’s fingers. Dahyun squeezes back. “Should we go in now?”

“I- yeah, if you’re ready to go?” Dahyun says.

Mina takes a deep, steadying breath and nods. “Yeah, let’s go.”

They weave their way across the lounge and up the stairs, stopping once they’ve reached the second floor. On the wall directly in front of them is a sign pointing the way to the auditorium, and Mina runs her thumb along each of Dahyun’s knuckles and the spaces in between before releasing her grip.

“Good luck, Dahyunnie…” Mina says softly.

Dahyun glances at the staircase behind them, then back at Mina; lips twitching into that soft grin that eases the pressure and worries off of Mina’s shoulders. How many times she found solace in Dahyun without the need for words, Mina will never know, but the one thing she’s sure of is that she’s lucky enough for the universe to decide to lead her straight to Dahyun.

And, hopefully, just as lucky to still stay with Dahyun after this.

“Good luck, Minari,” Dahyun says, her eyes smiling as they hold Mina’s gaze. “I’ll see you later.”

“I’ll see you later,” Mina affirms, watching as Dahyun goes up the steps and vanishes from sight before turning around and heading towards the direction of the auditorium.

A pleasant-looking faculty member offers her a warm smile as he checks her application, then motions for her to sit on one of the chairs while she waits to be called inside. Aside from her, there are two other girls waiting for their turn, and Mina offers them a polite nod and a smile which they return to her.

To keep her nerves in check, Mina hums one of her favorite ballet music pieces to herself; the way the time passes feeling as though it’s both speeding up and slowing down at the same time. A while later, someone emerges from inside the auditorium and one of the girls is called in, soon followed by the other until Mina’s turn comes at last.

Mina gulps and brushes off the imaginary dust from her lap before standing up, thanking the instructor as she slips through the door. The auditorium must at least be twice as large as the one they have at school – if not more than – and it reminds Mina of the smaller theaters she performed in before.

She walks down the steps leading to the middle of the auditorium and finds a panel of three judges sitting by a long table directly in front of the stage; the next moments passing by in a blur beginning from her introduction to the questions, and, finally, her performance.

It’s a strange feeling, dancing in an otherwise empty auditorium where Mina can hear every thud of her feet against the ground every time she lands back on the stage, muffled only by the music playing in the background. Still, she dances like she never has before, fueled by the countless hours she spent practicing and the sheer determination to be accepted.

A trickle of sweat drips down her forehead midway through, and by the time the music ends and the auditorium is shrouded in silence once more, Mina sweeps one foot to the side and bows as she catches up to her breath.

Overall, she thinks she did a great job with minimal to no mistakes; and the judges muse their approval and praises before telling her that they’ll be sending a letter regarding their decision in a few weeks. Mina then thanks them before she leaves, her legs feeling like jelly as she exits the auditorium and finds Dahyun waiting for her outside.

Without preamble, Mina collapses onto Dahyun and laughingly says, “That was nerve-wracking.”

“Right?” Dahyun raises her hands for Mina to see and adds, “My hands are still shaking.”

Mina laughs even more, uncaring that there isn’t even anything funny in the first place. She’s just relieved that it’s over, and more than anything, she wants to collapse and lie down somewhere nice and relaxing.

Dahyun seems to be thinking the same thing as she says, “Man, playing full pieces is tiring; but I’m even more beat right now. I kind of just want to flop down somewhere comfortable and take a nap or something.”

“Funny,” Mina says. “I was thinking the same thing. How about at that small hill near the neighborhood?”

“Funny,” Dahyun echoes, cracking a smile out of Mina. “I was thinking the same thing.”

\-----------

The view from the hill is a sight to behold – the houses looking tiny enough that Mina swears they could fit in her palm if she held them. And as she sits with her back against the cherry blossom tree with Dahyun’s head on her lap while the early afternoon breeze blows past, Mina is struck with the thought that they’ve reached the age where they’re both old and mature enough to truly understand what promises are – enough to make one for themselves. 

“Hey, Minari?”

At the sleepy dip in Dahyun’s voice, Mina smiles fondly, but doesn’t stop running her fingers through her hair. “What is it, Dahyunnie?” she asks, voice soft and full of affection because she can’t seem to stop being that way when it comes to Dahyun.

Eyes cracking open, Dahyun releases a content sigh and stretches out her fingers. It’s only then that Mina stops, indulging in the unspoken request by slipping her own through the spaces in between Dahyun’s.

Then, with their hands secured together and the cherry blossom petals fluttering down all around them, Dahyun looks straight into Mina’s eyes, her gaze deep and searching. Dahyun catches a lone petal with her free hand; and, twirling it between her thumb and index finger, she murmurs, “You know I’m always going to stay with you, right?”

Mina feels her whole world come to a standstill as soon as the words leave Dahyun’s lips; the weight of her head on Mina’s lap as heavy and as solidifying as the promise that she just made. Waiting in silence for her response, Dahyun plays with Mina’s fingers, her breaths coming out even and soft.

With their high school graduation and with the results of their university admission lurking right around the corner, Mina feels that a promise as weighty as that should come with a sense of fear and foreboding.

It should be scary to think about; because it’s a promise someone usually makes when there’s the possibility of a separation that could pull two people away from each other. No one who doesn’t understand the weight that comes with it should throw it around easily and without thought; but here Dahyun is, being different from most people by meaning what she says and is sure to stick by it.

Then, for what Mina is sure is one of the countless times she’s done this, she takes Dahyun in again; takes in how Dahyun has already lost the last of the baby fat in her cheeks; takes in how it gives more emphasis to the perfect angle and strong line that now shapes and defines her jaw. And yet, the flecks of sunlight and stardust still linger within Dahyun’s eyes, every bit as beautiful and comforting as Mina remembers them to be. Her hair, already dyed back into its original jet-black color from the bright, adventurous colors she used to cycle through during their entire senior year, fills Mina with an intense feeling of nostalgia.

For a moment, Mina wonders if she should confess to Dahyun now; if this is the perfect time Jihyo told her about that she would know once it comes. She sucks in her lower lip, torn between wanting things to stay as they are or to go on and take the risk she’s been running away from for so long.

Yet the only words that leave her lips are, “I do,” and nothing else. Everything else fails her in her fear of even the slightest possibility that Dahyun might not feel the same way she does; that her telling Dahyun that she’s been in love with her for so long might cause a rift or an awkwardness Mina can’t bring herself to risk happening.

Her heartbeat starts to pick up, however, when Dahyun smiles and fishes out two matching rings from her inner jacket pocket – the kind where you could adjust by yourself until it fits – and Mina gasps and clutches a hand to her chest.

“Why, Dahyun, are you proposing?” Mina teases; her voice dripping with mirth.

“With two rings?” Dahyun laughs. “Damn, Miss Myoui, you sure are greedy, aren’t you?”

“One for each hand, right?”

Dahyun laughs louder at that, and Mina bites back a smile at how easy it is to banter and exchange teasing remarks with Dahyun; kind of like a ping-pong match where they’re able to keep the ball bouncing over the net without dropping it.

“Well, maybe not now,” Dahyun teases back as she reaches for Mina’s right hand. “But I’ll keep it in mind that you want two rings. For now, though…” she holds up one ring and says, “Think of this as a promise ring. That no matter what happens, it’s always going to be the two of us.”

Mina finally gives in and strokes Dahyun’s jaw with her thumb, breath stuttering in her chest at the low, lazy hum that Dahyun makes. She thinks of the past eight years where Dahyun has stayed by her side; thinks of how she could never seem to stop herself from yearning to be even closer to Dahyun even then – as greedy as that might sound.

“Always the two of us,” Mina echoes, bringing a smile to Dahyun’s face and has her eyes shining so bright that the sun and the endlessly blue sky may as well have found their way home into them.

And when Dahyun slips the ring onto the ring finger of her right hand, Mina feels as though it’s the physical proof that seals the promise.

\-----------

Mina is almost overcome with nerves as the five of them sit in Jihyo’s living room, envelopes in hand and the one she holds in hers seemingly growing heavier and heavier with every second that ticks by. Beside her, Dahyun gulps and eyes her own envelope as though it’s a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any given moment. Which, given the gravity of their situation, it might as well be one.

“So then,” Jeongyeon says, voice a little shaky. Mina can’t blame her for it, since her own hands are trembling, too. “On the count of three?”

They nod in unison, too nervous to say a single word as they slide their thumbs beneath the flap. Jihyo sucks in a breath. “One, two… three.”

Mina fumbles for a moment before she manages to open the flap, and she and Dahyun take a deep breath and nod at each other before pulling out the piece of paper found inside. Then, out of instinct, Mina reaches for Dahyun’s hand and holds on tight to it, bracing herself for what’s about to come next.

_Dear Myoui Mina,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted…_

Stunned, Mina releases the breath she’d been holding in and reads the first few lines again just to be sure she saw it right; the tension and the weight of the stress that had been hanging over her for the past few months now lifted off her chest with that single sentence.

She got in. She actually got in.

She snaps her head towards Dahyun who is still staring at her letter, worrying her lower lip as Dahyun continues to sit unmoving. Swallowing hard, Mina resists the temptation to take a peek at Dahyun’s letter, and instead nudges Dahyun to get her attention.

Dahyun looks up and meets Mina’s eyes, her own face colored with disbelief as she whispers, “I got in.” She then pinches her cheek and scrunches her face adorably and repeats, “Minari, I got in.”

Breaking into a huge grin and over the moon at the news, Mina waves her own letter at Dahyun and rushes out, “We got in!”

Before Dahyun can answer, however, Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung suddenly yell, “We got iiin!”

“Us, too!” Dahyun exclaims as she stands up and pulls Mina along with her; Mina giggling as they’re engulfed in a group hug by Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung.

Their cheers of congratulations and laughter fill the entire house, and the next thing Mina knows, Chaeyoung and Dahyun are fighting over the last slice of pizza – only for Jeongyeon to steal it right from underneath their noses.

Mina laughs at the look of utter betrayal on Dahyun’s face, which morphs into one of pure despair the moment Jeongyeon takes a bite of the pizza. Chaeyoung, too, mirrors Dahyun’s expression, while Jeongyeon stays unbothered.

The smile on Mina’s face doesn’t falter for even a single second the entire afternoon.

* * *

“No, move a little more to your left!”

“Bro, don’t listen to her! Just keep going forward!”

“Hey, no! They’re lying! Go a little to the right!”

Mina giggles as Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Jeongyeon shout on top of each other, confusing a blindfolded and already bewildered Dahyun whose grasp on the wooden stick loosens in her doubt. They’re all hanging out at the backyard of Mina’s house, the four of them sitting on the porch while Dahyun stands a few feet away, debating which one she should trust to guide her towards the watermelon waiting to be smashed open.

Sweat breaks out of their skin at the warm, humid atmosphere the surrounds them, and Mina fans herself with her hand to try and cool herself down a little. Jeongyeon catches this, and, with a smirk, she calls out to Dahyun, “Oy! Dubu! Better crack that watermelon open soon because your Minari’s feeling the heat over here!”

Mina turns beet red at the remark; but Dahyun, unfazed, complains, “How the heck am I going to do that if all of you are trying to confuse me!?”

“What if Mina told you which way to go, then?” Jihyo suggests, a devious glint in her eye as she turns to look at a very embarrassed Mina.

“Oh, I see how it is,” Chaeyoung scoffs. “Not gonna trust your bro anymore, huh?”

“Not my fault if Mina’s the only one I can trust here!” Dahyun retorts, much to Mina’s growing embarrassment. Then, to Mina, she says, “Hey, Minari, I can trust you, right?”

If possible, Mina blushes harder, but she nods anyway; until she realizes Dahyun can’t see her. “I- y-yeah,” she answers.

“Awesome! So, which way should I go?”

Mina glances at the watermelon, then back at Dahyun, wondering if she should try and mess around. It’s rare for her to pull Dahyun’s leg, after all, so this should be a good time as any to do it.

“Take three steps forward,” Mina instructs, ignoring the shocked looks on Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung’s faces as Dahyun follows her. “Alright, then two to the left…” Dahyun follows again, which leads her a few inches away from the watermelon. “Then… strike!”

Dahyun swings the stick forward and hits nothing but thin air, the rest bursting into heavy fits of laughter at how she looks so clueless. “Wha- I didn’t hit anything!” Dahyun removes her blindfold and scans her surroundings for the watermelon, finding it way off to the left from where she stands.

Jeongyeon doubles over and starts wheezing; Chaeyoung falls over onto her back while she clutches at her stomach; Jihyo almost has tears in her eyes; and Mina’s sides start to hurt from laughing so hard.

Eyes narrowed, Dahyun marches over to where they are and kneels beside Mina to tickle her. “N-no!” Mina gasps through her giggles and swats at Dahyun’s hands. “D-Dahyunnie!”

“I can’t believe you would betray me like that,” Dahyun huffs.

“Sorry, sorry,” Mina laughs.

Dahyun clicks her tongue. “No, you’re not.”

Mina squishes Dahyun’s face in between her hands, ignoring Dahyun’s whines of protests as she presses her palms against her cheeks. They’re a lot less rounded now compared to when they were younger, and when Dahyun is about to look to the side, Mina juts out her lower lip in an attempt to soften her. Dahyun tries to resist, but falters not even three seconds in and mutters something under her breath about how Mina should be grateful she’s cute, or else.

Once Dahyun has recovered from the blow of Mina’s betrayal, Jeongyeon tries her hand at smashing the watermelon and succeeds; and the five of them each take a slice before settling back down on the porch, legs swinging back and forth as they eat.

Then, refreshed and cooled down, they spend the rest of the afternoon playing silly games that fills the entire backyard with their loud yells. At one point, Jeongyeon pulls out a couple of water guns from her backpack – which, to no one’s surprise, leads to pure and utter chaos.

Jihyo tackles Jengyeon into the grass and shoots water directly at her face; Chaeyoung and Dahyun roll around while trying to wrestle their water guns away from their grasp; Mina helps Dahyun pry herself away from Chaeyoung, only for it to backfire when Dahyun shoots at her point-blank without a single moment’s hesitation.

Mina squeals and turns to run in the opposite direction, Chaeyoung and Dahyun chasing after her while Dahyun shouts, “This is revenge for tricking me earlier, Minari!”

Dahyun is relentless, and neither of them stop even when they’re soaked to the bone. Mina yelps in surprise as Dahyun tugs on the hem of her shirt, which turns into a sharp squeak as they both come tumbling down. Dahyun keeps shooting at her until her water gun turns empty, Mina huffing as she fires back in retaliation.

It’s safe to say that the five of them are a drenched, shivering mess by the time they decide to put an end to the water fight; and as the sun begins to sink into the horizon, Mina tries not to think of how they’re about to go their separate ways once summer draws to a close.

Like her and Dahyun, Jihyo and Jeongyeon would be entering another university together but with different majors while Chaeyoung would go to a separate one by herself. It’s the reason why they’ve been spending pretty much the entire summer hanging out – though Mina is sure she’ll miss them more because of it.

Jihyo told Mina she can call whenever, and not to hesitate to tell her should Dahyun do something stupid (like kissing and going out on a date with a girl who doesn’t go by the name of Myoui Mina). Mina knows it’s a playful threat at best, but she appreciates it nonetheless. And constant teasing aside, she will miss having Jihyo around a lot.

Before leaving, Jihyo smirks at Mina and says, “Hey, don’t miss me too much, alright?”

Mina scoffs and retorts, “I could say the same for you.”

Jihyo laughs and hugs her. “Well, we can arrange to meet up during our breaks.”

“That’s a great idea,” Mina agrees.

“Alright, Jeong and I have to take care of the rest of our stuff, so we’ll be going ahead,” Jihyo says as she pulls away. “You and Dahyun better finish packing up, too.”

“Yes, mom.”

Jihyo rolls her eyes and gives Mina a small shove before turning to leave, slipping her hand in Jeongyeon’s while Chaeyoung trails behind. Mina bids them goodbye as she walks them out the door, then returns to the living room where she finds Dahyun sitting on the couch and on the verge of dozing off. With a soft chuckle and a fond shake of the head, Mina sits beside Dahyun and pulls her head to rest on her shoulder.

“Five minutes,” Dahyun mumbles, stifling a yawn.

“Okay.” Mina nods and closes her eyes, wondering if this is what it would be like once she and Dahyun start sharing a dorm room.

She hopes it is.

* * *

“Ugh, finally,” Dahyun groans as she plops face down on the couch, her neck and forehead shiny with sweat from the strain of carrying the boxes from the elevator to their dorm unit. It wouldn’t have been much of a problem if their room was located near the elevators; but they had the misfortune of being assigned to the one found at the end of the hallway – an ungodly _long_ hallway, as Dahyun had grumbled through gritted teeth while carrying their stuff.

“God, is our hallway a full kilometer’s length or something? My arms are killing me,” Dahyun complains, letting her arms hang limp at her sides as if to prove her point.

“Well,” Mina starts as she motions for Dahyun to scoot over so she can sit down, “then I guess it’s a good thing we have elevators.”

“For real. I mean, imagine carrying those-“ Dahyun points at the boxes sitting by the threshold with a look of disgust, “-all the way up the stairs? And in this god-awful heat?” She shudders and buries her face into Mina’s lap.

“Poor tofu,” Mina murmurs in a soothing voice as she runs her fingers through Dahyun’s sweat-matted hair.

“Poor _fried_ tofu,” Dahyun corrects her. “Or steamed, or boiled. Whatever. Point is, I feel like I got tossed into a frying pan or something.”

Mina chuckles at how dramatic Dahyun is being – although she can agree that it _is_ way too hot for comfort.

“Why don’t you take a shower so you can cool off?” Mina suggests.

“Good idea,” Dahyun mumbles as she starts to sit up. “A cold shower should do the trick, right?”

“Mmhmm,” Mina hums. “In the meantime, I’ll go store our food supplies somewhere safe so they don’t spoil.”

“Yeah, it would be a waste if they went bad,” Dahyun agrees. Then, she scrunches her nose and adds, “Not to mention the scolding I’ll get from my mom, too.”

“There’s that, too.”

“Alright, I’ll be done in a jiffy and then I’ll help unpack the rest of our stuff,” Dahyun says, giving Mina’s wrist a light squeeze before she stands up. Mina waits for Dahyun to finish grabbing a towel and a fresh set of clothes from her suitcase before getting up herself, then makes her way to the kitchen where the boxes filled with various cooking ingredients and snacks rest on the dining table.

A smile makes its way across her face as she listens to the sound of the water running from the bathroom, singing softly to herself as she goes about putting the ingredients in the cupboards and the fridge. It doesn’t even cross her mind to question how natural this feels – until she hears Jihyo’s voice echoing inside her head.

_I bet once we get to college and the two of you room together, you’ll act like a married couple waiting for each other to get home._

Mina almost drops the can opener she’s holding, her cheeks turning a furious shade of red as she buries her face into her hands.

“That’s because you’re best friends, okay?” Mina mutters to herself. “You’ve known each other since you were ten, so of course it wouldn’t be weird.”

Honestly. It’s Jihyo’s fault for saying something so crazy in the first place.

“Hooh, that sure felt great!”

At the sound of Dahyun’s voice, Mina almost jumps out of her skin, making her swear her soul just left her body. A small noise gets stuck in Mina’s throat as she turns around and finds Dahyun walking towards her, a towel draped around her neck and droplets of water cascading down her still-damp hair.

That seriously _cannot_ be good for Mina’s heart.

She wonders if there’s an instruction manual of sorts that would tell her the do’s and don’ts when it comes to sharing a dorm with your best friend – with whom you may or may not be in love with, because boy does Mina need one right about now. Well, if there is one, she’s pretty sure that staring at said best friend and admiring how beautiful and ridiculously attractive they are would fall underneath the list of don’ts.

Then, desperate to remove herself out of the situation, Mina hastily says, “I’m going to take a shower,” under her breath and makes a beeline out of the kitchen, unaware of the amused smile that toys at Dahyun’s lips.

God, how on earth is she going to survive this?

\-----------

There are more things Mina learns about Dahyun over the course of the weeks that they’ve been rooming together that she didn’t know before – like how Dahyun can sleep in bed without budging a single inch and waking up the next morning in the exact same position; or how she doesn’t mind being seen sporting a horrible bedhead first thing in the morning by Mina; or how, sometimes, she’s able to focus better on doing her homework when she stays in the kitchen.

It’s funny, because there were times where Mina used to think that she knows everything there is to Dahyun; but then she stumbles upon yet another quirk or side of Dahyun she might have missed before, and it’s as though she’s re-discovering Dahyun with every little thing that she learns.

Then, last but not least:

Dahyun’s is fond of calling out that she’s home in Japanese whenever she arrives. Mina had been surprised the first time it happened, until Dahyun explained that she remembers Mina telling her that her favorite Japanese word is _okaeri,_ which means ‘welcome home’ and that hers was _tadaima,_ meaning ‘I’m home’. Since then, neither of them have missed a day where they exchange calling out and welcoming the other one home; and Mina has only grown to love those two words more than she already does with how they sound so warm and beautiful falling from Dahyun’s lips.

Mina smiles to herself when she hears the door click open, soon followed by a resounding, “Minari, I’m home!”

Smile growing wider, Mina chirps, “Welcome home, Dahyunnie!”

Dahyun hides a yawn behind her hand as she shuffles towards the kitchen and runs her fingers through her hair, blinking tiredly as she plops down on the chair by the dining table.

“Tiring day?” Mina asks.

“Mmm…” Dahyun pulls her in by the waist and drops her head onto Mina’s stomach. Mina bites down on her lower lip to hold back the gasp that threatens to escape, her cheeks turning warm when Dahyun holds her tighter and sighs. “I’m better now, though,” she mumbles, voice muffled by Mina’s shirt.

Mina pushes her tongue against the roof of her mouth, trying her utmost hardest not to blurt out the words that have been itching to be spilled every time Dahyun becomes this affectionate.

Then, without letting go, of her waist, Dahyun tilts her head back and looks up at Mina. “How was your day?”

 _Fine,_ Mina thinks. Or at least she _was_ fine, until Dahyun decided to pull her in. So now, Mina swears she’s on the verge of having a heart attack instead. Not that she isn’t fine, it’s just that she’s not _fine_ fine but she means that in a good way? Heck, she isn’t even sure anymore because she’s fairly sure she’s sinking deeper into Dahyun’s eyes and _oh no._

“It was… it was good,” Mina manages, though she isn’t sure it came out coherent with how her lungs seem to have given up on her. “We uhm, we practiced some of the more complicated routines earlier.”

“Yeah?” Dahyun grins. The slight twitch of her lips distracts Mina, and to make matters worse, Dahyun starts drumming her fingers against her lower back. “How did that go?”

Mina swallows. “It went pretty well, I think. I only messed up a few times.”

“Your legs aren’t aching?”

“I- no, they’re fine.”

“Good.” Dahyun smiles, thumb stroking the base of Mina’s spine in a way that makes Mina shudder. If Dahyun notices this, she doesn’t say anything and instead continues to rub Mina’s back with the heel of her palm; and while Mina is no stranger to Dahyun’s affection when they’re alone, she feels this nagging sensation that there’s something different about it this time.

Then again, that could just be her trying to put some deeper meaning into it. For all she knows, it might not even mean anything on Dahyun’s end – as much as the thought makes Mina’s heart sink.

Mina is about to speak when Dahyun’s phone goes off with a text alert, her face almost falling when Dahyun lets go of her embrace.

“Sorry,” Dahyun apologizes. “That must be one of my classmates.”

“Oh, no, it’s okay,” Mina assures her. “I’ll go heat up our dinner while you get that.”

With a grateful smile, Dahyun touches Mina’s wrist and says, “Thanks, Minari. I’ll take care of washing the dishes afterwards.”

Mina releases the breath she wasn’t aware she’d been holding as she turns around, clutching a hand to her chest in an attempt to calm her racing heart. Yet, even though she tries her best to shake them off, the weight of Dahyun’s head on her stomach and the feeling of Dahyun’s fingertips dancing across her back remain.

It’s almost as if Mina could never forget Dahyun’s touch.

\-----------

“Oh no! Nononononono!” Dahyun cries out, her face colored with despair and helplessness as she watches Kirby get blown away from the stage. She drops her head backwards onto the couch and mourns, “That was so close!”

Mina giggles at her sulky pout, setting her controller aside so she can run her thumbs over Dahyun’s temples. While she sits on the couch, Dahyun has settled herself in a cross-legged position on the floor, the back of her head resting against Mina’s knees.

It’s one of the rare days where they’re able take a breather from schoolwork, but they felt too lazy to go and stroll around outside and instead decided to stay indoors watching movies and playing video games. Mina hums as Dahyun reaches for her phone, her eyes catching a glimpse of a bunny emoji and a string of texts with a bunch of other emojis.

Mina furrows her eyebrows, waiting in silence for Dahyun to finish her text before asking, “Your classmate?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah.” Dahyun answers, somewhat distracted. Mina fights off the urge to frown. “It’s Nayeon, a girl from my music theory class.” For some reason, a feeling of unease rises within Mina at this, but she quickly pushes it away. “I didn’t tell you yet since it wasn’t a sure thing back then, but she has this song cover project she’s working on for one of her classes, and she wants an original arrangement instead of downloading instrumentals.”

Mina casts her gaze down and whispers, “Oh.”

“So, yeah, she told me about it and asked if I knew someone who might be able to help her,” Dahyun explains, tickling Mina’s ankle. “I told her I played the piano and we agreed to work on it together.”

“I… I see,” Mina says.

Her stomach plummets and begins to twist in knots as Dahyun grins at the new text that flashes across her screen, and the feeling is only further intensified when Dahyun turns to her with sparkling eyes and asks, “Hey, so, is it okay if I invite Nayeon to come over tomorrow? She said she wants to go over the details in person but her dorm’s a no go because her roommates are noisy.”

Even though she doesn’t understand why the thought of Dahyun getting close to someone else makes her chest tighten, Mina still finds herself unable to have the heart to say no. Mina has never felt anything of this sort even though Dahyun made a lot of friends when they were in high school; but for some inexplicable reason, this one person she hasn’t even met yet has already managed to stir such an intense emotion within her.

“Sure,” Mina mumbles in assent, heart pinching when Dahyun’s grin widens at her answer.

“Nice! Thanks, Minari!” Dahyun’s thumbs fly across the screen, and, in the blink of an eye, she finishes typing out and sending her text. She then tosses her phone aside onto the table and grabs her controller. “Alright, time for a rematch!”

The sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach fades away when Dahyun doesn’t pause to check her phone for the rest of the afternoon; and as the sunlight bounces off the ring on Dahyun’s finger and catches her eye, Mina starts to wonder why she ever even allowed herself to worry in the first place.

After all, she’s gone on this long without doubting Dahyun even once - so she can surely continue having faith in Dahyun for far longer, can’t she?

\-----------

What greets Mina the moment she opens the door is loud, unrestrained laughter she’s sure doesn’t belong to Dahyun. The pitch is much higher, the quality more boisterous and a lot louder compared to Dahyun’s.

Mina blinks a few times, wondering who it could be and why they’re inside her and Dahyun’s dorm. Until she thinks back on the conversation they had yesterday and remembers Dahyun asking if she could invite someone over.

Ah. Right.

In her haste to get back to the dorm as soon as possible after her last class, Mina had forgotten that it wouldn’t only be Dahyun who would be here once she arrived.

As she bends down to take off her shoes, she notices a pair of white sneakers sitting in the shelf right next to Dahyun’s, which Mina chooses to ignore. Then, after putting on her slippers, Mina pads towards the kitchen where she finds Dahyun and another girl sitting beside each other; their elbows almost touching and their heads tilted far too close together than what Mina thinks should be necessary.

From where she stands, Mina catches a glimpse of Dahyun’s lopsided grin aimed not at her, but her new companion. Her throat closes up when she notices that they’re sharing a pair of earphones, the other girl giggling at something Dahyun says.

And the way the other girl looks at Dahyun…

It’s the same way Mina sees Dahyun – with eyes filled with adoration found underneath light giggles and giddy smiles, and Mina can’t blame this girl for having _that_ look on her face. If anything, it’s Mina who understands her most, because Dahyun has this way of sucking people into her atmosphere – even if she might not be aware of it.

Mina would know, because she finds herself being pulled in once more when Dahyun lifts her head and finds her standing there, grin growing impossibly wider as Mina’s feet carry her to where Dahyun is.

“Ah, Minari! Welcome back!” Dahyun says as she pushes her chair away from the table and stands up, reaching out her hand to take Mina’s. She gestures towards the other girl and adds, “So uh, Mina, this is Nayeon, the classmate I told you about.” Mina doesn’t miss the way the girl’s gaze lands on the matching rings on her and Dahyun’s fingers, and she takes this as her chance to move her hand a little so that her ring could be seen more clearly. Dahyun doesn’t seem to notice this, as she pushes on, “And Nayeon, meet Mina.”

“Hey.” Nayeon waves at Mina and smiles, showing a glimpse of her bunny teeth. “It’s nice to finally meet you, uhm…” she trails off with furrowed eyebrows.

“Mina is fine,” Mina says politely, her grasp on Dahyun’s hand remaining firm when Nayeon’s eyes flicker towards Dahyun for a short beat. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

Smile widening, Nayeon gives off an aura of genuine friendliness, making Mina feel a slight pang of guilt for the clash of conflicting emotions that run wild and collide in her chest. She’s happy that Dahyun made another friend, of course, and Mina gets that being in college has broadened their horizons and circles even further as compared to when they were younger; but at the same time, there’s that tiny, prickling fear that settles at the back of her head over what this could turn into.

Before she could plunge in headfirst to the hundreds of scenarios and what ifs that threaten to form inside of her head, however, Dahyun’s voice suddenly cuts into her thoughts. “We’re almost done, by the way. Wait for me a bit longer?”

“Yeah.” Mina nods. “Yeah, okay. Uhm, have fun,” she says, somewhat awkwardly before excusing herself to go to the bedroom.

She heaves out a sigh as she closes the door behind her and throws herself onto her bed, then pulls on her headphones over her ears, mostly to drown out the muffled laughter resounding from outside and to hopefully get rid of the tight feeling that has begun to settle at the pit of her stomach.

\-----------

Other than Dahyun setting aside some of her free time to meet Nayeon, everything else stays the same. Sometimes, Mina would catch Dahyun asleep with her head resting on her arms above her desk, sheet music scattered across the surface along with a few printouts of song lyrics.

This time, however, Mina finds Dahyun fast asleep on her bed, back resting against the headboard with her earphones on and a few sheets of paper littering the covers. With a fond shake of her head, Mina quietly pads over to Dahyun’s side and arranges the papers before setting them aside on Dahyun’s desk. She then perches herself on the edge of Dahyun’s bed, careful not to do anything that might disturb Dahyun.

In the silence, Mina can hear the thudding of her own heart against her chest, growing louder and louder as she inches forward ever so slightly; burning with the overwhelming urge to trace and explore every inch of Dahyun’s face with the tips of her fingers. Dahyun’s head rolls to the side, nose scrunching as she mumbles something about sharps and flats and crescendos before falling quiet again.

Mina smiles a little at the sight, and just as she dares to stretch out her hand, Dahyun stirs and tugs on her wrist, voice thick with sleep as she mumbles, “C’mere…”

Heart threatening to leap out of her throat, Mina sits shock still, unsure if she heard Dahyun right. But Dahyun tugs on her wrist again, and Mina allows herself to be pulled into Dahyun’s arms. With a content hum, Dahyun hugs her from behind and drops her head onto Mina’s shoulder.

A faint blush dusts Mina’s cheeks as she rests the back of her head against Dahyun’s chest, making her grateful that she isn’t facing Dahyun. It’s not that she isn’t used to cuddling with Dahyun – far from it, actually – but it’s times like this where Mina struggles the hardest to contain the storm of emotions raging within her.

To try and quell them, Mina asks, “What were you listening to?”

Silence. Mina wonders if Dahyun dozed off again, about to check when Dahyun says, “Just some voice clips of Nayeon singing.” At the mention of Nayeon and the smile in Dahyun’s voice, Mina stiffens, a twisting kind of pain piercing its way into her chest as Dahyun continues, “She has a nice voice… plus she’s easy to work with and real fun to have around, too.”

“That’s… that’s nice,” Mina says quietly, unsure what else to say.

“Mmm…” Dahyun sighs and squeezes Mina’s waist. “Hey, you okay?”

Mina tenses, but forces herself to relax again so as not to give herself away. The last thing she needs right now is for Dahyun to figure out what is going on with her when she’s already confused enough as it is.

So, she lies, “I- yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“It’s just… you feel kind of tense right now,” Dahyun says, voice dripping with concern.

Mina curses herself; tries to think of an excuse to put Dahyun at ease. “Oh. I’m just a bit tired from dancing, that’s all.”

Well, it isn’t a _complete_ lie. Their routines have become more demanding as of late, often leaving Mina out of breath and a few sore muscles by the end of their classes.

Thankfully, Dahyun seems to buy it. “Don’t overexert yourself, okay?”

“I won’t,” Mina promises. “But enough about me, how are you?”

“I’m good. Been having a blast so far.” Dahyun pauses for a moment, then adds, “I missed you.”

Mina swallows the lump in her throat, feigning a teasing tone as she jokes, “You say that like we don’t see each other every day.” She cringes internally when her voice cracks midway through, but Dahyun doesn’t seem to notice this.

“And like we haven’t been best friends for eight years,” Dahyun says with a soft chuckle.

Mina blinks back the tears that prickle at the back of her eyelids, her lower lip trembling as she echoes, “Yeah. Best friends.”

Dahyun curls forward, thumb blindly searching Mina’s hands before coming to rest on the ring on her finger, a fond smile curling at the corners of her lips as she strokes the skin around it. “Your hands are cold.”

“I mean, they always are,” Mina says – another feeble attempt at a joke.

This causes Dahyun to laugh. “Yeah, they are,” she agrees.

Silence then falls between them, making the thoughts running around Mina’s head seem louder than they are. Thoughts like turning around in Dahyun’s arms to see what kind of look she has in her eye at this very moment – if there’s this tiny flicker that would tell Mina that Dahyun doesn’t see her as _just_ a best friend.

Thoughts like if she were to be brave for once and push a little further, just a small shove in the right direction, so Mina could see for herself if it would somehow trigger a domino effect in Dahyun the way it has for her over the past eight years.

If, somehow, the last domino piece to come tumbling down would be the answer Mina has been searching for all this time.

Swallowing hard, Mina places her hand on Dahyun’s knee, about to turn around when Dahyun’s phone lights up with a text. The brief moment of courage she had managed to muster then disappears just as fast as it came, her breaths coming out shallow when she spots Nayeon’s name and a kissy emoji at the end of the message.

Lowering her head, Mina resists the overwhelming urge to pull her knees up to her chin and instead settles for worrying her lower lip, finding it difficult all of a sudden to fight off the increasing tightness that threatens to cave her chest in on itself.

It only grows worse, however, when Dahyun says, “Hey, Nayeon invited me to have breakfast with her tomorrow before we head to the studio, so I’ll have to leave earlier. Sorry about that…”

Glad that they aren’t facing each other, Mina presses her lips into a thin line and nods. “No, it’s okay…”

A lie. But Dahyun doesn’t hear the tiny quiver in her voice, and Mina doesn’t know whether she should be relieved or heartbroken.

Maybe both.

“I’ll record something for you,” Dahyun promises.

Mina opens her mouth, about to argue that Dahyun doesn’t have to, but she just nods again and burrows further back into Dahyun. “Okay.”

Only one thing runs through her head as she falls asleep curled into Dahyun’s side later that night:

_What if she were to be brave for once?_

\-----------

Dahyun leaves early the next morning, blanketing the dorm in a wistful kind of silence without her bright, sunny presence to fill the quiet spaces which Mina isn’t used to. While she sits in front of her desk and reads through her notes, Mina tries not to think of how the silence is different when Dahyun is there, even if neither of them says a word.

Yet, even though she knows Dahyun isn’t there, Mina cranes her neck and glances at Dahyun’s empty bed anyway, then heaves out a sigh before turning back to her notebook. Not more than a few minutes later, the silence is pierced by the sound of her phone ringing with a video call request, which Mina is quick and all too relieved to accept.

Jihyo appears on the screen, voice loud and clear as she waves enthusiastically at Mina. _“Mina-yah!”_

Mina giggles and waves back at Jihyo. “Jihyo-yah! How are you?”

 _“Oh, you know, just trying to stay sane.”_ Jihyo shrugs.

“Because of college or because of Jeongyeon?”

 _“Hey! I do_ not _drive Jihyo insane!”_ Jeongyeon cuts in, defensive.

Jihyo looks away from the screen and retorts, _“Like hell you don’t!”_

Mina laughs at their antics, feeling significantly less lonely than she was earlier.

“What crazy stuff is Jeongyeon up to, by the way?” Mina asks.

 _“God, it’s like living with a five-year old,”_ Jihyo complains, though it’s half-hearted at best given the fond way she rolls her eyes. _“I mean, I come home one day after classes and you know what comes flying at me?”_ Jihyo’s voice rises into a tone of disbelief as she shakes her head. _“A bunch of Nerf gun bullets, Mina! Can you believe that!?”_

Mina bursts into laughter at the mental image of an unsuspecting Jihyo being greeted so rudely by a hail of Nerf bullets raining down on her the moment she opens the door, no doubt with Jeongyeon wheezing and doubling over in the background while Jihyo tries to process what just happened.

“That’s one-hundred percent a Jeongyeon thing to do,” Mina agrees.

 _“I know, right?”_ Jihyo groans. _“But I’m sure you have those moments, too. Speaking of…”_ she leans in closer to the screen and peers around Mina as though looking for something – or in this case, some _one_ – then draws back with a confused frown. _“Hang on, isn’t Dahyun there with you?”_

Mina shrugs and lets out a small laugh. “No, she’s out for the rest of the day.”

 _“Huh, I was wondering why it’s a bit too quiet over there…”_ Jihyo muses. Mina shrugs again, which Jihyo catches onto. _“You don’t sound too happy about her being away, though. Is something going on?”_

 _“What, is Dahyun out on like a date or something?”_ Jeongyeon asks as she squeezes into the screen, earning her a sharp glare and a swift smack on the arm from Jihyo.

 _“Not helping, Jeong,”_ Jihyo hisses.

“It isn’t a date,” Mina answers, though her stomach shifts uncomfortably at the idea. “At least I don’t think it is…” she adds in a voice barely above a whisper. She then fakes a smile and tugs the sleeves of her sweatshirt over her hands. “She’s helping one of her classmates for a project. They’ve been talking and meeting a lot these days to work on it.”

 _“How long has it been going on?”_ Jihyo asks.

Mina pushes her tongue against her cheek. “Almost three weeks now, I guess. Though they did go out for breakfast today…” she lets out a hollow laugh at the thought of Dahyun and Nayeon sitting across each other, undisturbed by the crowd of people surrounding them.

Jeongyeon and Jihyo share a look while Mina drops her gaze, a sullen expression clouding her face.

 _“Mina…”_ Jihyo says, soft and sympathetic.

“Though it wasn’t Dahyun who invited Nayeon out. It was the other way around, so I guess that counts for something,” Mina rambles, though she isn’t sure if it’s simply to tell Jeongyeon and Jihyo about the situation, or if she’s trying to reassure herself by saying the words out loud.

 _“Wait, so it was the other girl- what’s her name again? Nayeon?”_ Mina nods in response to Jeongyeon’s question. _“Yeah, okay, so it was her who invited Dahyun for breakfast?”_

“I- yeah.” Mina tilts her head in confusion. “Why do you ask?”

 _“Great! You see, Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung, and I have been talking and we’re planning to visit you guys the weekend after the next, so…”_ Jihyo trails off, a devious glint in her eye as she and Jeongyeon smirk at each other.

Mina, on the other hand, feels even more lost.

 _“Just trust us,”_ Jeongyeon says confidently. _“Chaeyoung and I will talk to Dahyun, bros-to-bros,_ and _get her friend out of the picture at the same time.”_

Despite her earlier sulking, Mina giggles. “You say that like you’re going to scare her off.”

 _“Well, you know what they say,”_ Jihyo says, dead serious. _“All’s fair in love and war.”_

 _“And you can bet your ass this means war,”_ Jeongyeon declares.

Mina laughs and shakes her head in amusement, deciding to play along with them.

\-----------

Dahyun and Nayeon only grow closer and closer from then on, until Mina begins to wonder if its best if she were to start putting a little distance between herself and Dahyun; make things easier and far less painful by beginning the process of moving on while Dahyun is still at the ‘friends’ stage of her relationship with Nayeon.

That way, Mina thinks, the blow would be more bearable if Dahyun were to suddenly announce one day that she wants to date Nayeon. And if that’s the case, then she’s much better off burying her long-hidden feelings without Dahyun having ever to know about them. Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung won’t even have to get themselves involved, because it would be far too late to intervene by then.

Yeah. That’s definitely for the best, Mina thinks to herself.

She just has to let go, one day and one step at a time.

Who is she kidding, anyway? Dahyun isn’t going to stay by her side forever – at least not in the way Mina longs her to be. Besides, not everyone gets to experience the fortune of having their childhood love and best friend return their feelings, so all she has to do is learn to accept that she’s one of the many on that list.

Baby steps, Mina tells herself. Much like how she grew to fall in love with Dahyun; slowly but surely.

There’s no way it could be that hard, right?

\-----------

Wrong.

It takes everything in Mina not to give in to the overwhelming urge crawl into Dahyun’s bed as she’s wont to, so it feels as though something is missing when she lies down on her own bed that night – namely, the soft fabric of Dahyun’s oversized sleepshirt and the space between her neck and shoulder that’s somehow more comfortable than any pillow.

But Mina pushes through it; tells herself again that it’s what’s best for the two of them.

From the opposite end of the room, Dahyun frowns in Mina’s direction, her forehead creased in confusion when Mina turns on her side to face the wall instead of her.

Still, Dahyun says nothing, probably thinks that Mina is just having an off day and things would be back to normal come tomorrow.

She does greet Mina good night, however, which Mina acknowledges with a mere hum.

Yet, when the lights go off and she closes her eyes, Mina wants nothing more than to cross the small distance separating her and Dahyun’s side of the room and curl right into Dahyun’s arms like she always does.

But she doesn’t.

Not knowing Dahyun wants to do the same.

\-----------

She asks how Dahyun’s day is and Dahyun does the same – but there’s a certain tension that hangs in the air whenever they talk these days. Every time Dahyun reaches out to touch her hand, Mina struggles not to flinch away, knowing it would hurt Dahyun if she does. It’s the least she could give Dahyun, the least she could do for herself so as to retain at least a semblance of normalcy between them.

But when Dahyun taps out a rhythm against the inside of her wrist, Mina wonders if she’s even making progress in the first place; because it seems like the harder she tries to pull away from Dahyun, the more she finds herself wanting to be drawn back into Dahyun’s orbit.

To go back to how things were; to go back to when Nayeon still wasn’t in the picture.

And with Dahyun being nothing more than an arm’s reach away most of the time, Mina has to admit she might have been naïve for thinking that she could get rid of her feelings for Dahyun that easily when they live in the same space.

Maybe, just maybe, she should take things a step further and refrain from initiating any form of affection that could cause the dam to burst.

And if Dahyun does see Nayeon in that way and is simply waiting for the perfect moment to move forward, then the last thing Mina wants is to hold her back by telling her everything.

Dahyun would still be there for her, anyway.

\-----------

If there’s one thing Mina succeeds at in her quest at avoiding Dahyun as much as she possibly can within the confines of their dorm, it’s in disappointing Dahyun. When they’re sitting on the couch, Mina puts as much space between them as she’s able to so that their shoulders or knees don’t brush, but not far enough to raise any questions.

Then, when they work together on cooking or cleaning the kitchen, Mina moves around in a way such that she doesn’t bump into Dahyun; the resounding laughter and banter that used to fill the air replaced with an awkward and palpable silence.

Unlike before, Mina doesn’t sneak glances at Dahyun who stands beside her and instead focuses on washing the dishes.

“Hey, there’s this café that serves delicious chocolate cake, by the way. Do you want to check it out with me sometime?”

Despite the cheerfulness in her voice, Mina senses a hint of trepidation lying underneath which hadn’t been there before. Though she can’t blame Dahyun for it – not when Mina keeps coming up with excuses to shoot her down.

It’s scary, how easy it’s become for her to lie to Dahyun without cracking or batting an eye.

“Sorry, Dahyun…” Mina murmurs. Not Dahyun-ah, not Dahyunnie, just _Dahyun._ “I don’t know, things might become more hectic again.”

“Oh…” Dahyun’s cheery aura falls flat into a crestfallen demeanor – one Mina is sure shows on her face, too. Mina wants to kick herself for it. “Right. Raincheck?”

Mina musters a smile and nods. “Yeah, raincheck.”

“Alright…”

Silence then envelops them again, but it isn’t the comfortable kind that Mina is used to having when she and Dahyun are together. It’s more like a strained one, where neither of them are sure if breaking it would do them any good or add to the mounting tension instead.

Until Mina makes the mistake of suggesting, “Maybe you could invite Nayeon,” in a teasing tone.

Instead of lightening the mood, however, it does the opposite effect. Dahyun doesn’t seem thrilled by the idea, who responds with an absentminded hum and a distant, “Yeah, I guess I’ll do that,” which confuses Mina.

That doesn’t make any sense. Shouldn’t Dahyun be happy at the thought of being able to spend more time with Nayeon? But she acts as if it were the opposite instead, leading Mina to wonder if they had an argument or anything of the sort.

Before she can ask, however, Dahyun mumbles something about needing to do some homework and excuses herself, her shoulders sagging as she walks away; the sound of her footsteps heavy against the floor.

Mina thinks she might have screwed up, big time.

\-----------

_“What’s this I hear about you avoiding Dahyun?”_

Mina flinches at Jihyo’s question and looks at everywhere else except at her laptop screen. It was only a matter of time until Dahyun would come to Jeongyeon about what’s been happening, and Jeongyeon then would of course relay the news to Jihyo. What _is_ surprising, however, is the fact that Jihyo hadn’t called her to talk about it earlier on.

Though maybe Jihyo waited for a while, thinking that she and Dahyun would smooth things over and this conversation wouldn’t have had to happen then.

Except they don’t. Or, to be more accurate, Mina continues to drive this wedge between them.

Unable to find the words to say to explain herself, Mina purses her lips and hangs her head instead.

From the other end, Jihyo sighs. _“This is about her and Nayeon, isn’t it?”_ Mina nods, still quiet. _“And you think Dahyun likes her.”_ Mina nods again.

“They’ve been spending more time together lately,” Mina mumbles.

_“Look, Mina, you’re my friend and I love you, but don’t you think that might also be because you’ve been pushing Dahyun away?”_

Mina furrows her eyebrows together and frowns. “I just don’t want to hold her back if she does like Nayeon.”

_“Is that really the only reason?”_

Surprised, Mina snaps her head towards her laptop screen where she finds Jihyo looking at her with a serious expression. “I-“ she starts, about to lie but eventually thinks better of it. “No, it isn’t…” Jihyo stays silent, waiting for her to continue. Mina swallows the lump in her throat and bites down on her lip. “I’m afraid, Jihyo. I don’t want to lose Dahyun, and I thought that I could get over her by distancing myself.”

_“Is it working, though?”_

Mina lets out a hollow laugh and shakes her head. “I wish I could say it is, but it isn’t.”

Jihyo falls silent for a moment, looking as though she’s mulling things over before she speaks again, _“Look, Mina, I know it’s scary to think about taking that leap… but don’t you think the chances of you losing Dahyun if you keep pushing her away are much higher than if you told her how you feel?”_

“I don’t-“ Mina pauses, conflicted. “But what if she’s into Nayeon?”

Jihyo shakes her head and presses, _“Mina, just- just stop thinking about Dahyun and Nayeon for a moment, alright? Think about_ you _and Dahyun instead.”_ Mina sucks in a breath and does a slow, small nod. _“I can’t speak for Dahyun on this, but I don’t think she’ll keep quiet and leave things be the way they are. She’s going to want answers soon, so don’t wait until things become worse before she does, Mina.”_

Shoulders sagging in defeat, Mina rubs at her eyes and nods while Jihyo offers her more words of encouragement. Mina isn’t sure they work, though, her thoughts revolving around one thing and one thing alone:

She just hopes it isn’t too late yet.

\-----------

Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse much sooner than Mina expected. She guesses she shouldn’t be surprised, not when she’d blown Dahyun off one too many times and pushing her to go after Nayeon instead every time Dahyun tries to invite her to hang out. 

“You could just tell me, you know,” Dahyun says quietly one afternoon the moment Mina steps into the living room, still dressed in her button-up shirt and jeans despite her classes already being over. Mina tugs the sleeves of her sweater over her hands and waits for the next bomb to drop. “If you’re getting sick of me or if you don’t want me around, I mean.”

The underlying hurt veiled around Dahyun’s hushed whisper has Mina wishing she would shout instead; wishing Dahyun would have her jaw set in anger rather than her shoulders sagging in defeat; wishing her eyes would burn fierce with frustration instead of the dull shine that Mina is met with.

Nothing could have ever prepared Mina for this – for the sparkle in Dahyun’s eyes to not be there as they look back at her; for Dahyun to be an ocean away from her despite the small distance found between where she stands at the end of the threshold and the couch where Dahyun sits.

The silence is heavy – the heaviest it’s ever been and growing heavier still with every passing second that passes where neither of them say a single word.

But what hurts the most, Mina thinks, is watching Dahyun fidget with the ring on her finger.

“Dahyun, that’s not what I-“

“Isn’t it?” Dahyun interjects with a bitter laugh. “Mina, you barely look me in the eye anymore. You flinch when I try to hold your hand. You-“ she cuts herself off and shakes her head. “You know what, never mind.” She stands up and runs a hand through her hair with a huff. “I need to go.”

Mina feels her heart race out of panic, sheer desperation coursing through her veins as she reaches out to grab Dahyun’s wrist. “W-wait, where are you going?”

Dahyun shakes herself free from Mina’s grasp, and, in a tone devoid of emotion, she says, “I’m meeting Nayeon, but I’ll be having dinner with her so you don’t need to wait for me.”

She doesn’t look Mina in the eye the whole time, doesn’t even turn to spare her a single glance as she walks to the door; Mina’s chest squeezing tighter and tighter with every step that Dahyun takes further and further away from her, until her heart is caught in a chokehold with no room left for it to beat.

Then, when Dahyun slams the door shut, Mina feels as though she just watched Dahyun walk out of her life.

And she has no one else to blame for it but herself.

\-----------

It’s already past nine but Dahyun has yet to arrive, and Mina resists the urge to send another message on top of the previous ones she already sent, but remain unopened. With a strained sigh, she draws her knees to her chin while she mindlessly scrolls through her photos, pausing at the one of her and Dahyun cuddled together in Dahyun’s bed – Mina caught mid-laugh with Dahyun smiling down at her. Ironically enough, it’s the last one they took before she decided to screw things up, and now she’s no longer sure if they would be able to go back to how they were. 

Not long after, the door clicks open, followed by the sound of Dahyun’s footsteps that become more distinct the nearer she gets to their room. She freezes in place when she finds Mina still awake, and they stare at each other for a moment before Dahyun averts her gaze and turns her back on Mina.

“You shouldn’t have waited,” Dahyun mumbles, back still turned.

“I was worried…” Mina whispers as she hugs her knees close to her chest, part of her hoping that if she looked at Dahyun long enough, she would turn back around and face her.

After a while, Dahyun does, though her expression remains unreadable.

Dahyun then sighs and runs a hand through her hair. “I’m not going to run off anywhere.” Mina sucks in her lower lip but says nothing. “But it feels like you’re the one who is.”

For the first time in what must be forever, Mina wishes she wasn’t the type to be so hard-pressed for words when she needs to explain the jumbled mess of thoughts running around inside her head the most; wishes she knew the right things to say that wouldn’t push Dahyun further away from her.

But she has to try, no matter how Dahyun might react or respond.

Taking a deep breath, Mina casts her gaze downwards and shrinks into her bed and shakily says, “I just don’t want to lose you…”

“Why would you think that?” Dahyun asks, her voice tight and strained. “Mina, I’m not going anywhere. I promised you that, didn’t I?”

“I know…” Mina lifts her head to meet Dahyun’s gaze, her eyes wide and desperate. Desperate for Dahyun to understand her even without the need for words the way she’s done over the past eight years. “I know, Dahyun. And you’re not- I could never get sick of you.” Stunned, Dahyun remains unmoving from where she stands, but the last of the fight in her leaves the moment Mina says, “I want you around, and I’ll _always_ want to be with you.” Out of her need to reassure Dahyun, to ease as much of the hurt she’s caused Dahyun as much as she can, it doesn’t hit Mina that she said something different from what she meant to say. She then slides off her bed and stands up on wobbly knees, her breath hitching as she continues, “But I don’t want to hold you back, either.”

“Hold me back from what?”

“You and Nayeon,” Mina manages to strain out despite the heaviness in her chest.

Lost and confused, Dahyun wrinkles her forehead. “What do you- me and Nayeon?” she pauses, uncomprehending, then lets out a small laugh. “You think we went out on a date? Or that I’m going to ask her out? Mina, that’s not it at all.”

It’s Mina’s turn to be confused. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to be with Nayeon, Mina,” Dahyun says, her gaze firm on Mina’s. “But I can’t blame you for thinking that way, and I’m sorry for making you feel like I’ve been choosing her over you.”

“But it isn’t your fault… Dahyun, I should be the one who’s sorry.” Mina wraps her arms around herself and hangs her head. “I wasn’t avoiding you because I couldn’t stand being around you or because you were making me uncomfortable.” She shuffles her foot against the floor, breath catching in her throat as she raises her head and finds Dahyun’s softening gaze, her chest decompressing until her heart is able to beat a little easier. “I just- I don’t want to ruin what we have right now, and that’s why I tried so hard to stay away from you.”

“Then trust me,” Dahyun breathes out, reaching out her hand to slide her fingers through the spaces in between Mina’s. This time, Mina doesn’t flinch, doesn’t back away, instead takes a step closer to Dahyun. “Because whatever it is, I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying.”

Were it any other person, Mina would have begun to doubt them or question if they do mean it; but this is Dahyun – Dahyun, who has been with her for so long and knows her from the inside out. Dahyun, who has stayed with her through it all and constantly reassures Mina that she always will.

Mina thinks it’s about time that she reassured Dahyun, too.

With her right hand, Mina cups Dahyun’s face, the beating of her heart growing louder and louder she could almost swear it echoes off the walls and reaches Dahyun’s ears. “Even if I tell you that I want to be with you in a different way?” she whispers, keeping her eyes trained on Dahyun’s.

To Mina’s relief, Dahyun doesn’t look away, her gaze remaining steady and unwavering and as sure as the stars are shining. “Especially if you tell me that you want to be with me in a different way.”

Mina swallows, the last ounce of fear that threatens to rise up her throat disappearing in that moment. There’s a calmness in Dahyun’s face that brings Mina comfort, the softness in the way her lips lift into a smile stealing the remaining breath that lingers in Mina’s lungs.

Then, running her thumb over the ring on Dahyun’s finger, Mina confesses in a breathless whisper, “I want to always stay with you, Dahyun.”

Eight years.

Eight years in eight words, and though it may seem few, they’re more than enough to bring out the most beautiful, most breathtaking of sights in Dahyun’s eyes. Within them, the stars shine bright – the brightest Mina has ever seen them burn and has her wishing she could stay in them, too.

Somehow, they burn brighter still as Dahyun whispers back, “I want to always stay with you, too, Mina.”

And when she sinks into Dahyun’s arms, Mina knows it’s there she would forever want to stay and find her home in. 

\-----------

Mina wakes up the next morning with her head on Dahyun’s chest, the even thuds of Dahyun’s steady heartbeat the first thing that she hears, followed by a soft chuckle and a teasing, “Good morning there, koala.”

Mina blinks. Glances down to where her hand is curled around the side of Dahyun’s shirt and their legs thrown together.

_Oh._

“You’ve never been that clingy in your sleep before,” Dahyun says with a grin. “I guess I know how it’s like to be a body pillow now.”

Mina whines and slaps Dahyun’s arm. “S-shut up.”

“Nope,” Dahyun pops out. “Koala.”

With a loud huff, Mina ruffles Dahyun’s hair, but Dahyun just laughs and yanks her in by the waist. Mina squeaks in surprise but doesn’t resist, the sleepy, dopey smile on Dahyun’s face causing her to giggle. But before Dahyun can say something, Mina leans into kiss her, feeling Dahyun’s smile widen against her lips.

“Mmm, I sure could get used to that,” Dahyun murmurs, content, as Mina snuggles closer to her.

Tucking her face into the crook of Dahyun’s neck, Mina hums in agreement and searches for Dahyun’s right hand with her own to lace their fingers together. A smile of her own blossoms across her face when she sees their rings touch, her chest burning with warmth and everything else she couldn’t describe.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you…” Mina says softly as she toys with Dahyun’s fingers.

“Don’t be…” Dahyun rubs her shoulder in reassurance and brushes her lips along her hair. “To be honest, I was scared out of my mind every time I thought of telling you, too.”

Mina moves her head to rest her chin above Dahyun’s chest and wriggles closer to her. “I wish I handled things better, though.”

“Both of us could have,” Dahyun says, regret lacing her voice. “I shouldn’t have walked out on you yesterday, and I should’ve answered your texts.”

“You were hurt,” Mina reasons out, but Dahyun shakes her head and presses another kiss against the crown of her head.

“Still, that doesn’t excuse the way I acted. I mean, you said it yourself… you were worried about me and I shouldn’t have made you feel that way.”

“But you came back and you listened to me,” Mina murmurs.

“And you opened up to me,” Dahyun answers, squeezing Mina’s hand. “That’s what matters.” She wraps her arms tighter around Mina and buries her nose into her hair. “And we’re here now.”

“Yeah,” Mina agrees, burying her face into Dahyun’s chest. “We’re here now.”

\-----------

They decide to keep it a secret so they can surprise Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung for when they come to visit, having said nothing more than the two of them being able to talk and smooth things over. Though Jihyo watches them with a raised eyebrow as Mina snuggles close into Dahyun’s side while Dahyun slings an arm around her shoulder to keep her close.

Other than that, Jihyo doesn’t say a word, but sneaks a few glances every now and then as if she’s waiting for a slipup of sorts. Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung, on the other hand, are none the wiser; neither of them batting an eye or making a comment at Dahyun and Mina’s closeness.

When Dahyun gets distracted talking with Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung, Jihyo takes this as her chance to press Mina for answers.

“You and Dahyun are awfully close,” Jihyo comments, suspicious.

Unfazed, Mina merely shrugs. “Like we said, we’re good now.”

“Uh-huh, and I guess ‘good’ means you and Dahyun acting even more disgustingly sweet than you were before.”

“You’re just imagining things, Hyo,” Mina snorts.

“What are you guys talking about?” Dahyun slides in, moving her arm to hold Mina’s waist. Jihyo’s eyebrow shoots all the way up to her forehead, but Mina ignores her.

“Nothing,” Mina assures Dahyun with a fond smile which Dahyun mirrors.

“’Nothing’ my butt,” Jihyo scoffs underneath her breath.

Dahyun and Mina then hold a silent conversation, which ends with Mina shaking her head and mouthing ‘not yet’. Dahyun nods and discreetly tucks a few stray hairs behind Mina’s ear, then sneaks in a quick kiss to her forehead while Jihyo isn’t looking. Mina suppresses a giggle and cuddles closer to Dahyun’s chest, while Dahyun absentmindedly runs her thumb along her hip.

Then, when Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung turn around to look at them, Mina places her hand on Dahyun’s knee and gives it a light squeeze. Receiving the message, Dahyun leans in to give Mina a sound kiss on the lips.

And Mina must say, it’s well worth seeing the priceless expressions of pure shock that flash across their faces when she and Dahyun pull away.

“What the hell!?” Chaeyoung cries out as she leaps to her feet. “What the hell was that!?”

Jeongyeon’s eyes almost bug out of her head. “What the- was I just seeing things or did you two-“

“-kiss!” Jihyo yells and jumps off the couch. “I knew it!”

“Oh, you mean this?” Dahyun smirks and pulls Mina in for another kiss, much to the disbelief of the three. They then share a look before bursting into laughter. “Oh, man, you guys should’ve seen the looks on your faces,” Dahyun wheezes, wiping a nonexistent tear from her eye.

“I wish I could’ve taken a photo,” Mina manages in between fits of giggles.

“Right? I swear their jaws dropped to the ground.” Dahyun almost bowls over from laughing so hard, Mina following suit as she leans into Dahyun’s side.

“Hang on- that wasn’t a joke, right? You two are actually-“ Jeongyeon waves a hand around, bewildered.

“I swear, if this is some sick joke you two are trying to pull,” Jihyo threatens.

Chaeyoung snaps her head towards Dahyun and shoots her a glare. “You didn’t even bother to tell me!? Me, your bro!?”

“Hey, you and Jeong kept getting on my case so I wanted to get revenge,” Dahyun argues.

“And you-“ Jihyo points at Mina, her eyes narrowed, “-you mean to tell me you also kept it a secret on purpose?!”

“You’re always teasing me about Dahyun, so I wanted some payback, too,” Mina retorts.

Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung let out a collective groan and rub at their temples.

“God, the stress you caused us,” Jeongyeon complains.

“I was so ready to scare off a bitch, too,” Jihyo huffs.

Mina chokes on air, which earns her a curious glance from Dahyun.

“Wait, what do you mean by that?” Dahyun asks Jihyo.

“It’s nothing,” Mina quickly says, before Jihyo could say something terribly wrong.

“But enough of that!” Jeongyeon claps her hands together to get their attention. “This calls for a celebration, everybody!”

“To my bro Dahyun!” Chaeyoung chimes in as she holds up an imaginary wine glass. “For finally, _finally_ getting her head out of her ass after eight goddamn years!”

“To Mina!” Jihyo exclaims, clinking her own imaginary glass against Chaeyoung’s. “Who can now finally, _finally_ quit her pining!”

“To the new couple!” Jeongyeon raises hers the highest. “Who can now finally, _finally_ stop stressing us out!”

“Cheers to that!” Jihyo and Chaeyoung chorus.

Dahyun and Mina aren’t sure whether they should be insulted or be happy with the way the three react to the news, especially when Chaeyoung and Jihyo enthusiastically clink their invisible glasses against Jeongyeon’s.

* * *

_Eight years later_

Mina smiles at the familiar row of houses that greet her as her dad drives down the familiar road leading to their neighborhood, wrapping the jacket she’d stolen from Dahyun’s closet tight around herself like she’s done throughout the whole plane ride earlier.

What once was foreign and scary to her back when she was ten now brings Mina comfort; and even more so because she knows that there’s someone waiting for her. True enough, Dahyun is there when they arrive, sitting on the steps leading to the front door of Mina’s house while she waits.

There’s a bounce in Mina’s step as she hops out of the car; the grin on Dahyun’s face just as broad and bright as it was all those years ago when Mina sprints across the remaining distance and flings herself into Dahyun’s waiting arms. After weeks of being apart, having Dahyun hold her close to welcome her home is exactly what Mina needed to recharge.

“Alright, I’ll leave you two kids to your reunion,” Mina’s dad says with a chuckle, throwing Dahyun a wink which Mina doesn’t notice because her face is buried into Dahyun’s neck.

With a content sigh, Mina grasps at the back of Dahyun’s shirt and nuzzles her face further into her chest. Dahyun chuckles, the low rumble in her chest bringing a smile to Mina’s face.

“How was Germany?” Dahyun asks.

“It was beautiful,” Mina says, then pulls back and juts out her lower lip at Dahyun. “It would’ve been better if you were there with me, though.”

Dahyun laughs and leans in to kiss the pout off her face. “Next time, then,” she promises. Mina hums and hugs Dahyun tighter. “Aren’t you exhausted from your flight?”

“Not anymore,” Mina mumbles. “I might be later, though.”

“What, am I your charger?” Dahyun teases.

“Yes, you are.”

“Then how long do you need to be plugged in?”

“Forever,” Mina answers without missing a beat, her smile growing wider when she hears Dahyun’s heart start to race. “Why so nervous all of a sudden, Kim Dahyun?” she teases.

“Nervous? Me? Psh, yeah, right,” Dahyun scoffs, though her heart continues to beat faster. “I’m just happy to see you again.”

“Mmhmm, sure, we’ll go with that.”

“You really aren’t going to let go of me, are you?” Dahyun laughs, amused, as Mina snuggles closer to her.

“Nope,” Mina pops out. “Deal with it.”

Dahyun shakes her head and clicks her tongue. “Bossy, bossy.”

“Well, I don’t see you complaining.”

“I never said I was.”

“Good,” Mina says in approval, eyes fluttering to a shut as Dahyun nuzzles her nose into her hair and squeezes her waist.

After a while, Dahyun’s heartbeat returns to its normal, steady pace, with Mina tapping a beat against Dahyun’s back along to its rhythm. Mina isn’t sure how long they’ve been wrapped up in each other’s arms, but she’s far too comfortable being held by Dahyun to even think of moving a single inch.

“I still can’t believe it’s already been so long since you moved here,” Dahyun murmurs against her hair.

“Me too,” Mina sighs, a fresh wave of nostalgia crashing over her along with the memory of a ten-year old Dahyun bounding down the sidewalk to welcome her. Dahyun, with her pigtails, squishy cheeks, and a grin so wide it shines brighter than the sun. “It’s been, what, sixteen years?”

“Yeah… and we’ve been together for eight,” Dahyun says through a quiet chuckle. “Crazy, huh?”

Humming in agreement, Mina tilts her head back to smile at Dahyun, affection swelling in her chest as she takes Dahyun’s face in her hands and runs her thumbs over her cheeks. Maybe other people would have grown tired long ago if they were in her and Dahyun’s shoes, but not Mina – not when Dahyun continues to give her reasons to fall in love with her every second of every day.

Not when Mina hasn’t ever stopped falling, not even for a single breath’s pause.

“It’s been a pretty wild ride,” she agrees.

“We’ve come so far from back then, haven’t we?” Dahyun whispers, her gaze steady on Mina’s.

“We sure have,” Mina says softly, toying with the hairs on the back of Dahyun’s neck.

Dahyun then falls silent, but the look in her eye tells Mina there’s more she wants to say, so Mina chooses to stay quiet while she waits for Dahyun to gather her thoughts. After a few more moments, Dahyun releases a slow, steady exhale and touches their foreheads together.

“When I heard that you and your parents were moving here, I was excited. I thought, ‘hey, I’m going to make a new friend.’” She pauses, the corners of her lips pulling into a smile when Mina giggles. “But I guess I got a little too carried away back then.”

“Yeah, I remember your mom scolding you,” Mina says with a laugh. “I didn’t mind, though. I liked how friendly you were.”

“And I’m glad I didn’t scare you off,” Dahyun says, grinning. “Then we became classmates, and a lot happened since then. I never thought we would become so close, or that you would be my best friend, but it’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” She pauses again and swallows, her breath catching in her throat as she continues, “Mina, _you’re_ the best thing that ever happened to me, and I don’t think I can imagine living a life where I’m not by your side.”

Tears begin to roll down Mina’s cheeks as Dahyun drops down on one knee, streaks of gold bouncing off the dark strands of her hair and her eyes seemingly turning a lighter shade of brown as she gazes up at Mina. Her hand, having held Mina’s for as many times as there are stars in the night sky over the years, reaches out once again with Mina meeting her halfway; the tips of their fingers brushing before Dahyun strokes her thumb over Mina’s ring.

Then, with her other hand, Dahyun takes out a velvet box from the inner pocket of her jacket and pops it open, revealing a familiar princess cut diamond ring Mina has seen every day while she was growing up. More tears spill from her eyes at the realization; and Dahyun, her voice thick and shaky with emotion, asks, “Mina, will you stay by my side?”

Mina doesn’t even need to think about it. When it comes to Dahyun, she never has to.

“Yes,” she chokes, nodding her head vigorously. “Yes, Dahyun, yes!”

Dahyun releases the breath she’d been holding, her fingers trembling as she slips the ring onto Mina’s ring finger, then lets out a shaky laugh of joy and relief when Mina launches herself into her arms. Through hiccups and stuttered breaths, Mina buries her face into Dahyun’s neck and starts to laugh, too.

“There, that’s the second ring you wanted,” Dahyun manages to say in between small fits of laughter.

“It only took you eight years,” Mina jokes.

Dahyun grins and cups Mina’s face, thumb wiping away the remaining tears that linger on her cheeks. “Hey, better late than never, right?”

Curling her fingers around Dahyun’s wrist, Mina smiles and inches closer until their noses start to brush; sinking deeper and deeper into Dahyun even as their lips touch.

This time, Mina knows there’s still so much more in store for them in the future; knows that there are still a whole lot of other firsts that await them as the days pass by.

And Mina wouldn’t want anything more than to stay by Dahyun’s side through it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this, and I appreciate all the comments, the kudos, the bookmarks - well, just everything you guys do to show your support! 
> 
> I actually have another large MiHyun planned out along with a few other fics, and I'll be giving updates on those on twitter. Again, thank you so much for reading! :D
> 
> Twitter: [@minaridubu](https://twitter.com/minaridubu)

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Twitter: [minaridubu](https://twitter.com/minaridubu) :D


End file.
